# I think I just ate part of a fork **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 6, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708 "2005-05-06T16:09:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/1 "2005-05-06T16:09:45Z")
A plastic fork, but a fork nonetheless. The most disturbing part is that I am just not sure. I was digging into the chicken and rice, happily eating away. 5+ bites into it, I look at the fork and realize a tine has broken off. I dug through the food to no avail. Glanced at the table and floor…nothing. Pretty much the only other option is that it broke off in my mouth, I somehow managed to avoid biting it, and then swallowed it cleanly. I have to think that if I did manage to swallow it, sharp and pointy plastic bits are probably not the ideal item to be traveling through my system. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/2 "2005-05-06T16:18:35Z")
It only adds to your mystique, oh studly one. **swoon** ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/3 "2005-05-06T16:24:42Z")
Man, I did the same thing last week, eating spaghetti with meat sauce I made out of ground turkey. My roommate and I always run out of forks before we run the dishwasher, so I bought a package of plastic forks and occasionally eat with those. All of a sudden, half a tine was gone and I never found it! Oh well, anything that doesn’t kill us only makes us stronger. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Unkempt\_One](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b782af/32.png) [@The\_Unkempt\_One](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Unkempt_One)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/4 "2005-05-06T16:24:46Z")
The only way to be sure is to examine your poop for the next several days. Speaking from experience, I would suggest collecting it in a large coffee can and picking it apart with some sort of stick. If, after several days, you find no part of a plastic fork, then your worry may have been in vain. Won’t that be a relief! ---
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/5 "2005-05-06T16:36:23Z")
Now you have to eat part of a knife and spoon, too. Maybe even part of a plastic or paper plate. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a8b319/32.png) [@Spatial\_Rift\_47](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spatial_Rift_47)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/6 "2005-05-06T16:43:13Z")
> [@The Unkempt One](#): > > Speaking from experience Wow. Don’t wanna know. ---
**Author:** ![a35362](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@a35362](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a35362)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/7 "2005-05-06T17:12:08Z")
Are you sure the fork had all its tines when you started? I buy these 100-for-a-buck forks at the dollar store, and they don’t always pour the plastic so that the fork gets all its tines. Wouldn’t you feel something as long as a plastic fork tine making the alley-oop over the back of your tongue and down your throat? I think you’re okay, one way or the other. ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/8 "2005-05-06T17:32:27Z")
I ate three or four bites of wax paper yesterday. It was stuck to the brownie so tightly I couldn’t see it. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/9 "2005-05-06T17:37:37Z")
I have a friend who does piercing for a living. She often has people swallow balls from their tongue piercings. She offers to sell them a new one, or they can “retrieve” their old one when it passes. Amazing how many people opt to save some bucks with the retrieval option. ---
**Author:** ![Old\_Goat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/5daacb/32.png) [@Old\_Goat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Old_Goat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/10 "2005-05-06T17:43:59Z")
In the fullness of time, all things must pass. ---
**Author:** ![Sengkelat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@Sengkelat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sengkelat)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/11 "2005-05-06T18:02:56Z")
So they’re retrieving it…and putting it back in their _mouth_? Um, eew. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/12 "2005-05-06T18:05:48Z")
MmmHmm. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/13 "2005-05-06T18:07:53Z")
Don’t worry, you’ll be just tine. ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/14 "2005-05-06T18:08:00Z")
**Mullinator** , if you really did just swallow a tine … Man, you are so forked. ---
**Author:** ![FatBaldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecd19e/32.png) [@FatBaldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FatBaldGuy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/15 "2005-05-06T18:27:24Z")
I’m sure it will come out OK in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/16 "2005-05-06T18:32:35Z")
Such piercing wit on this thread. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/17 "2005-05-06T20:57:28Z")
> [@The Unkempt One](#): > > The only way to be sure is to examine your poop for the next several days. Maybe I’m crazy but I have to think that if he shits out a sizeable piece of pointy plastic he’ll **know about it** at the time without any requirement of pawing through his sphinctral stew. ---
**Author:** ![CynicalGabe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@CynicalGabe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CynicalGabe)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/18 "2005-05-06T21:50:52Z")
I’d say its tine to get a new fork. ---
**Author:** ![descamisado](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e480ec/32.png) [@descamisado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/descamisado)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/19 "2005-05-06T22:02:27Z")
I’m trying to think up a response involving “if you’d only been using a spork, . . .” but, I . . . got . . . nothin’. I accidently swallowed a bridge that had been loose for a while. It, too, did pass. I washed it in clorox, soaked it in alcohol for a week, rinsed it with Listerine, repeated and had it reattached. ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708/20 "2005-05-06T22:04:22Z")
Been there. At Captain D’s. Didn’t notice when it “passed”, so maybe I have the start of my own silverware set! [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-think-i-just-ate-part-of-a-fork/302708.md?page=2)