Yeah, I’m surprised we’re from the same province.
Chopsticks = right hand
Spoon = right hand
Fork = right hand
Goes into mouth = right hand
I rarely eat anything that needs to be cut with a knife, so there are very few times that I need to switch. I know it is less efficient, but it feels more comfortable to switch the fork back to the right hand.
American dad, English mum—my fork remains in my left hand, tines down, though each bite fills me with un-American guilt. I make up for it in the O.R., however, where I dissect American-style. 
I was not instructed on silverware etiquette at all while growing up. But at a young age (young enough that I have no memory of NOT knowing this), I picked up that it wasn’t considered very adult to do certain things like switching utensils from hand to hand for every bite, or holding a spoon in your fist and shoveling food into your mouth with it. My non-dominant hand (left) is ridiculously weak and uncoordinated. I usually cut up my entire plate with the knife in my dominant hand (right), then set down the knife and eat with the fork in my dominant hand. I don’t think this would work with a steak (cutting up an entire steak before you eat it feels like it would probably be a minor breach of mealtime etiquette), but I never order steak at a restaurant so it’s not an issue.
For example, a local Indian buffet I like has boned chicken and lamb in all their curry dishes, so I just cut it up and remove ALL of the bones before I start eating. No need to keep switching hands that way.
By shoveling, I mean holding a utensil like this (just barely missed the edit window, curses!).
FWIW, I’m left handed and hold my fork in the left hand regardless. I reckon that the hand that has to bring stuff to my mouth needs more fine motor control than the one hacking things into bits.
Agreed on the last part though, in fact I’m seriously puzzled by the idea anyone would switch utensils mid-dish. The fuck is wrong with y’all ?! And people wonder why the world is going to Hell in a handbasket ! 
That being said, now that you’ve got me really pondering this stuff, I don’t really recall ever being taught or intimated to do it this way. The only table manners that were ever really enforced at my place growing up was no resting your elbows on the table until your plate is empty. Which I still don’t grok. Oh, also no singing/whistling at the table ; which makes a lot of sense now that I *really *get what us kids are like ;).
Switching hands is just stupid affectation, as is keeping one’s hand in one’s lap while eating. I grew up using my left hand for eating things that required cutting, keeping the knife in my right. I’m not coordinated enough to eat ‘soft’ or uncut foods with my left, so I do switch for that, but keep the knife in my left hand to act as a dam for things like peas that like to roll around. It amuses me to see someone chasing food around his plate with his right hand, while his left sits in his lap.
I fork with my left, use knife to cut or as a wall to push food to fork with the right hand.
Salad and Soup I Fork and Spoon with the right, use left hand for bread and wine.
Taco’s or Fried chicken is from the Left. Other finger food from the right 
I’d never make it in a Muslim country.
Fork in left hand. Knife in right.
I’m left-handed.
I am confused. How do you eat with the tines of your fork pointing down? And how can this be said to be more efficient? Isn’t this defeating the whole function of a fork? I don’t believe I have ever seen anyone eating this way and I have lived all over the US and eaten in fancy restaurants and greasy spoons. Huh.
I was born in the UK though. Table manners were a huge deal with my parents.
Original writer of the OP here.
There seems to be some confusion of the question going on here, and I plead guilty to not being more specific.
I am referring to people eating things that need to be cut into pieces with a knife as you eat it - steak, chops, fish, chicken breast, asparagus, boiled potato and other large vegetable pieces/items.
You stick the fork with your left hand, tines down, into the food - then you cut the food with the knife with your right hand, and then use that left hand to lift the piece you cut and bring it to mouth to eat. No switching of hands after cutting.
If you are eating something that doesn’t require the use of a knife, then even most Europeans and others might just use their right (dominant) hand to eat. Obviously the same goes for spoons with soup or pudding or ice cream or whatever. Right hand is perfectly normal. Again - I was just referring to foods that need to be cut into pieces as you eat.
So the European method doesn’t involve keeping the fork tines-down unless you have just held it that way to cut something? I misunderstood what someone else said then. Thanks.
NZer here, so not quite sure if it is “European” or not, but our normal method DOES involve keeping fork in left hand (right if you are left-handed) and using it tines down most of the time. The knife is used for cutting and to help food onto the tines and then it’s brought up to the mouth (not taking the mouth down to the plate) to consume. No grasping cutlery in fists, use your thumb and index finger to hold.
I think if you are taught this from a young age you develop the co-ordination you need to do it in a smooth and graceful manner.
Is it only in America where steak is soft enough to cut with the side of your fork? I kid. But I did see several posters say they drop the knife if there is nothing that needs cutting. Typically, we’d keep the knife and fork in their respective hands through the whole course. If it is a dish that never requires cutting, then you would only use the fork, but it could be in either hand although not switched between them, used tines down for stabbing or tines up for scooping. I’m thinking of a curry dish with rice. You’d probably have naan or something similar to help the food onto the fork as well. If you had boiled potatoes with a casserole which would be a similar texture, you’d still use a knife and fork. You do NOT cut food (the potatoes) in a main dish with the side of your fork.
Brit here. I was brought up to hold the fork in my left hand, tines down. For some meals the knife could be dispensed with and the fork held in the right hand tines up. This was much rarer than you might think - we did not use a fork to cut soft food (e.g. fish).
On preview, what Kiwi Fruit said.
Many are referring to non-switching being “European Style”, but is it just Europe? Is it not the case that switching is “American Style”?
Tonight we had well cooked salmon that just fell apart under the fork, but to try it out, I held the fork in my left hand, and the knife in my right.
It was a horribly hillarious experience. The fork felt so unnatural in my left hand. I couldn’t make normal sawing motions with the knife in my right hand.
It felt EXACTLY like when I try to hold a pencil in my left hand. I don’t even know how to grip it. Furthermore, trying to saw back and forth with the knife in my right hand was a taxing mental exercise.
Honestly, I don’t know how you all do it.
Because it’s a fork and not a shovel?
Growing up, we were definitely taught to eat with fork in left, knife in right, fork tines down.
If you were eating to fast, rudely or otherwise you would be said to be “shovelling your food in”.
As a left hander, I use fork in left at all times, chopsticks is also left.
Here, most of the time you will be given a fork and spoon :rolleyes:, I still use the fork in the left hand, if I “need” to use the spoon for something, then it gets switched to the left hand. (we were taught that soup etc should be eaten with the left hand)
Until I read this board, I had never heard of “switching hands” (there have been a few threads on it) and still can’t believe it.
And I can’t believe that people defend it. It’s just weird.
Me too! I am a lefty, and always had to use my fork in my left hand (One of my earliest memories is setting the table and putting the fork and knife the wrong way round)
Yes - and we make it a point now to coach niece / nephew and whoever on the “correct” way to eat.
Absolutely true. It is a mortal sin to cut food with your fork, and ranks right up there with being raised by wolves. 
Here in Singapore, for a dish like curry and rice we would normally use a spoon and fork (but then curry here is much soupier than in NZ also)
I must say, that Singaporeans in general have terrible table manners with the “western style” eating. Forks and knives all over the place, using spoons for main meals, holding cutlery like a shovel and spear, and putting bones directly on the table.
I don’t understand using a fork in a manner that to me is upside down. Why is the fork curved if not to hold food? You think switching hands is weird; I think not cutting food with a fork if it’s soft and not using the fork to hold food is weird. Different strokes I guess. I can almost understand not switching hands when using a knife to cut meat, but not using the side of the fork to cut a potato seems very alien. You wondered if American steak is soft enough to cut with a fork (sometimes it is!) and I wonder exactly how hard your potatoes are!