# How do you cut your steaks? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [December 6, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905 "2002-12-06T13:26:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/1 "2002-12-06T13:26:44Z")
**American style** You cut up the whole steak into bites, and then eat. **European style** You cut one bite at a time as you eat. **Cosmopolitan style** You cut two or three bites at a time, eat those, and then cut a couple more. ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/2 "2002-12-06T13:28:49Z")
Oops, I forgot. I usually cut my steaks American style. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/3 "2002-12-06T13:33:02Z")
One piece at a time. ---
**Author:** ![Tristan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tristan/32/18058_2.png) [@Tristan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tristan)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/4 "2002-12-06T13:34:59Z")
Euro… I also use my flatwear euro style as well. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/5 "2002-12-06T13:38:04Z")
One peice at a time. Do Americans actually cut the whole steak up first? Gosh, I thought you only did that for children. That makes the steak get cold faster. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/6 "2002-12-06T13:40:49Z")
Rickjay: I have seen very few people cut the whole steak up first. ---
**Author:** ![yojimbo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yojimbo/32/232_2.png) [@yojimbo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yojimbo)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/7 "2002-12-06T13:45:23Z")
One piece at a time. I’m an adult you know. You’ll be saying you use sporks next 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Weirddave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/919ad9/32.png) [@Weirddave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Weirddave)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/8 "2002-12-06T13:56:52Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by RickJay \* > \*\* > > Do Americans actually cut the whole steak up first? \*\* No, we do not. I have never seen anyone over the age of 5 who ate like that. I eat mine one peice at a time, just like everyone else. ---
**Author:** ![Winston\_Smith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e95f7d/32.png) [@Winston\_Smith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Winston_Smith)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 1:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/9 "2002-12-06T13:59:41Z")
Pappa Smith was always a real stickler for Table Manners. His spin on this is as follows (Ahh, sweet childhood memories :rolleyes: ) Euro-Style, as you put it, is correct in my father’s book. Proper etiquette dictates that meat be cut one bite at a time, as you eat it. Same goes for bread/dinner rolls. As far as the Euro-style of fork & knife handling goes, he embraced the Miss Manners-style rules - when cutting, fork in left hand, knife in right. Then the knife is placed on the edge of the dinner plate, or the bread plate if available (never, never return a soiled utensile to the table), and the fork is transferred to the right hand again to eat. Lather, rinse, repeat. Furthermore, the only time you should _ever_ have something in each hand is when cutting. When taking a sip of milk (see below), you must first return your fork, spoon, bread, or whatever to it’s appropriate place, then grasp the glass of milk. Also, children (his children, not “those below the age of consent”), are only allowed to drink milk at the dinner table. No Soda Pop, no OJ, not even water. He was (and still is) such a wanker, but I have better Table Manners than just about everyone I know. So I got that goin’ for me. Which is good. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Gorgon\_Heap](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/f475e1/32.png) [@Gorgon\_Heap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorgon_Heap)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/10 "2002-12-06T14:04:40Z")
There was a lengthy debate on this a while back, though I can’t recall what thread it was … something about someone being dissapointed that her husband always cuts up the whole steak. I say: So what? My wife and I both cut up our steak (or whatever) entirely. Something I just noticed, really, but no big deal because, well, who cares? So I guess you’re wrong, **Weirddave** , since you know me. ---
**Author:** ![Rug\_Burn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a87d85/32.png) [@Rug\_Burn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rug_Burn)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 2:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/11 "2002-12-06T14:12:25Z")
American style indeed. What kind of savage eats that way? I just pick that bad boy up and start gnawing 'til it’s gone. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 2:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/12 "2002-12-06T14:13:21Z")
**Cosmo style** Efficient use of time. The remaining slab of beef doesn’t get cold. Just went to etiquette class with my daughter’s girl scout troop. Winston is absolutely correct in what “etiquette” demands we do. However, I’m an American and we’re known for bucking tradition. Why just last evening I went out to a fancy schmanzy restaurant and gleefully buttered the entire roll at one time. I also placed the napkin on my lap _prior_ to food being served. It was SO liberating! ---
**Author:** ![Meatros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Meatros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Meatros)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/13 "2002-12-06T14:27:23Z")
European! That’s if I don’t shove the whole freak’n thing in my mouth at one time… ---
**Author:** ![TwistofFate](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/cdc98d/32.png) [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/14 "2002-12-06T14:55:43Z")
with a knife. ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/15 "2002-12-06T15:00:53Z")
Using the definitions of the OP, I eat my steak European style. However, I know of no one other than my wife who eats their steak the so called American style. ---
**Author:** ![B.Pants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a87d85/32.png) [@B.Pants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/B.Pants)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/16 "2002-12-06T15:09:09Z")
Gimme good old “cosmopolitan style” any time. What, you think I’m going to spend my whole meal transferring my fork back and forth? I think not. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/17 "2002-12-06T15:35:16Z")
Where do the distinctions of “American,” “European,” and “Cosmopolitan” come from? Are they completely arbitrary? ---
**Author:** ![Liberal](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/848f3c/32.png) [@Liberal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Liberal)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/18 "2002-12-06T15:53:26Z")
Probably. I’ve never had any french fries from France. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Urban\_Ranger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9c0ed/32.png) [@Urban\_Ranger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urban_Ranger)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/19 "2002-12-06T15:57:27Z")
I don’t cut my steaks. I grab with my hand, then rip pieces off with my teeth. j/k 😉 ---
**Author:** ![nashiitashii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7c8e57/32.png) [@nashiitashii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nashiitashii)\ **Post date:** [December 6, 2002, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905/20 "2002-12-06T16:09:05Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Winston\_Smith \* > \*\*Pappa Smith was always a real stickler for Table Manners. His spin As far as the Euro-style of fork & knife handling goes, he embraced the Miss Manners-style rules - when cutting, fork in left hand, knife in right. Then the knife is placed on the edge of the dinner plate, or the bread plate if available (never, never return a soiled utensile to the table), and the fork is transferred to the right hand again to eat. \*\* ::stares at his eating habits with a little bit of puzzlement:: I have no clue why you people insist on switching hands. 🙂 It’s so counterproductive to spend time tossing your fork from one hand to the other… Then again, my mother [being European] taught us to just keep our silverware on the side that it started out on. This led quite a few people into assuming I was left-handed because I didn’t hold my knife in my left hand or switch my fork over. There’s nothing _wrong_ with switching the fork from hand to hand, but it’s gotta be really tedious. My mother was a bit of a stickler for table manners as well, but probably not nearly as much as Pappa Smith… unless it was a nicer dinner or we had guests over or something. As for the table manners thing, did he also teach you which fork is which and stuff like that? I don’t remember whether my mother taught me it or not, but I had a good conception of what was for which item when presented with a great many pieces of silverware due to their shapes and # of tines. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-cut-your-steaks/140905.md?page=2)