# Is it really rude to cut your food with the side of your fork? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 15, 2007, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788 "2007-10-15T14:22:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![TokyoBayer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tokyobayer/32/13989_2.png) [@TokyoBayer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TokyoBayer)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788/41 "2007-10-16T02:06:12Z")
In a column a while back Miss Manners said that the side of forks should be used to cut food which they are capable of. It doesn’t matter how fancy the restaurant is, you’re still in the clear. Flinging mashed potatoes across the table with spoon catapults is apparently still out. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788/42 "2007-10-16T02:41:10Z")
Personally I think the European method is more elegant _and_ easier: the fork is always held in the left hand, so you use the left hand to carry food to your mouth. The knife stays in the right hand. With this method, there’s no need to cut food with your fork because your knife is always in your hand ready for use. ---
**Author:** ![threnodyangelfire](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ecc23a/32.png) [@threnodyangelfire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threnodyangelfire)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788/43 "2007-10-16T04:20:22Z")
[QUOTE=scr4] Personally I think the European method is more elegant _and_ easier: the fork is always held in the left hand, so you use the left hand to carry food to your mouth. The knife stays in the right hand. With this method, there’s no need to cut food with your fork because your knife is always in your hand ready for use. [/QUOTE] I thought that was global… that’s the way I was bought up and tables are set here… consider some ignorance fought! ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788/44 "2007-10-16T04:38:14Z")
[QUOTE=threnodyangelfire] I thought that was global… that’s the way I was bought up and tables are set here… [/QUOTE] Actually the table setting is the same. Wikipedia entry for [fork etiquette](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fork_etiquette) explains the difference in fork/knife usage. I haven’t really paid attention to whether most Americans do the correct “American style,” but I think most do. And it does explain why Americans are tempted to cut food with the fork. ---
**Author:** ![Carson\_O\_Genic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/cdc98d/32.png) [@Carson\_O\_Genic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carson_O_Genic)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2007, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788/45 "2007-10-16T10:58:57Z")
Your wife would have had serious problems with my grandfather,who ate EVERYTHING with a knife,including ice cream,of which he had great fondness. Try it with green peas sometime. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-really-rude-to-cut-your-food-with-the-side-of-your-fork/422788.md?page=2)