# Cutting Food with a Fork **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 5, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694 "2003-01-05T00:59:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nycjudy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/3da27b/32.png) [@nycjudy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nycjudy)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/1 "2003-01-05T00:59:11Z")
Is it in any way proper to cut any food with fork? I say no - ya gotta use the ol’ knife + fork system. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/2 "2003-01-05T01:07:07Z")
Cake. It is proper to cut cake or gateau with a dessert fork (it is usual to do this in conjunction with a spoon) ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 2:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/3 "2003-01-05T02:08:18Z")
I think any food can be cut with just a fork if doing so is easily done. The knife is then unnecessary. ---
**Author:** ![lee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lee/32/7455_2.png) [@lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lee)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/4 "2003-01-05T02:52:22Z")
You must not ever use your meat knife to cut fish. Use your fish fork instead. I have it on good authority that cutting fish with a knife (other than a fish knife which is rare these days) will cause your hand to turn black and fall off. ---
**Author:** ![Lobsang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lobsang/32/4067_2.png) [@Lobsang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lobsang)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/5 "2003-01-05T02:57:40Z")
oh ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/6 "2003-01-05T03:33:56Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by lee \* > \*\*You must not ever use your meat knife to cut fish. Use your fish fork instead. I have it on good authority that cutting fish with a knife (other than a fish knife which is rare these days) will cause your hand to turn black and fall off. \*\* Should I ask for a cite, or is this so sarcastic I haven’t picked up on it? ---
**Author:** ![Reeder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c6cbf5/32.png) [@Reeder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Reeder)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/7 "2003-01-05T03:39:20Z")
Whooosh. ---
**Author:** ![mblackwell](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5fc32e/32.png) [@mblackwell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mblackwell)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/8 "2003-01-05T04:14:36Z")
Knives? Forks? Feh. What do you think God gave us fingers and teeth for? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![David\_Simmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9de053/32.png) [@David\_Simmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/David_Simmons)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 6:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/9 "2003-01-05T06:54:26Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mblackwell \* > \*\*Knives? Forks? Feh. What do you think God gave us fingers and teeth for? 😉 \*\* Well, if you don’t use the utensils you really should wash your hands first. If knife, fork and spoon are there for use you can come right in from milking the cows and just dive in. ---
**Author:** ![sturmhauke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e47c2d/32.png) [@sturmhauke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sturmhauke)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/10 "2003-01-05T12:22:55Z")
In the absence of a knife, is it proper to cut your food with a claymore? ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/11 "2003-01-05T14:15:35Z")
One may properly cut cheese without utensils, but that turns the corner into quite another manners question. ---
**Author:** ![Una\_Persson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/una_persson/32/346_2.png) [@Una\_Persson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Una_Persson)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/12 "2003-01-05T14:30:05Z")
I do not know if it a widespread cultural thing, but I have seen many French people (in France) who cut with their fork - which is the way that I eat almost exclusively. ---
**Author:** ![Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3d9bf3/32.png) [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tapioca_Dextrin)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/13 "2003-01-05T17:06:15Z")
And where do [sporks](http://members.tripod.com/~sporkk/) fit into all this? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/14 "2003-01-05T17:18:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by sturmhauke \* > \*\*In the absence of a knife, is it proper to cut your food with a claymore? \*\* Only if you’re in a Vietnamese restaurant. ---
**Author:** ![Early\_Out](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Early\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Early_Out)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/15 "2003-01-05T17:21:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by mblackwell \* > \*\*Knives? Forks? Feh. What do you think God gave us fingers and teeth for? 😉 \*\* What’s the matter, can’t get your face down to plate level? Fingers? We don’t need no stinking fingers! ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/16 "2003-01-05T19:01:31Z")
I ate a restaurant Friday night where they actually gave me a fish knife. At least that’s what I figured out after the fact. But I just used my fork. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/17 "2003-01-05T19:32:46Z")
“I believe that’s for scratching your ass, Marge.” ---
**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/18 "2003-01-05T19:39:09Z")
Not only did I get a fish knife, but I got a sauce spoon. The meal cost me $70 also. ---
**Author:** ![msgotrocks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/8edcca/32.png) [@msgotrocks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msgotrocks)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/19 "2003-01-05T21:58:47Z")
The rule when I was growing up was that if you _could_ cut it with a knife and fork you’d damn well better. That was pretty easy to remember. My mom still brags about the time when I ate a whole quail with a knife and fork. Apparently my biggest accomplishment to date. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![barbitu8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/839c29/32.png) [@barbitu8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/barbitu8)\ **Post date:** [January 5, 2003, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694/20 "2003-01-05T22:57:22Z")
We had a social manners class in high school and was told that if you don’t need the knife, don’t use it. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-food-with-a-fork/146694.md?page=2)