# Switching Your Fork-Holding Hand While Eating? Do People Do This? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 6, 2007, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036 "2007-06-06T20:19:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 8
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/141 "2007-06-09T16:23:18Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] In South Asia, French toast is never eaten sweet. The batter includes eggs, salt, pepper, onions, chili peppers, cilantro leaves, and perhaps green peppers and tomatoes. No milk or powdered sugar in sight. And it’s eaten with chili ketchup, not with syrup. It’s fried in oil, never baked. The idea of sweet French toast with sugar and syrup is as strange to Indians as savoury French toast is to Americans. [/QUOTE] Is it still called French Toast in India, or is there a specific local name for it? ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/142 "2007-06-09T16:28:35Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] In South Asia, French toast is never eaten sweet. The batter includes eggs, salt, pepper, onions, chili peppers, cilantro leaves, and perhaps green peppers and tomatoes. No milk or powdered sugar in sight. And it’s eaten with chili ketchup, not with syrup. It’s fried in oil, never baked. The idea of sweet French toast with sugar and syrup is as strange to Indians as savoury French toast is to Americans. [/QUOTE] It doesn’t sound strange _per se_ … just creative. Kind of like an omelette fused into a piece of bread. Sounds tasty to me. Can it really be considered the same dish? Is it called “French Toast” the world over? Even if it is, maybe it’s something like the associations the word “pudding” conjures up in the U.S. and the U.K.? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/143 "2007-06-09T18:15:47Z")
[QUOTE=Ghanima] What we call bacon is very fatty salt pork cut into very thin strips (about 2-3 cm by 20 cm) and fried (usually until crisp). It is nothing like “back bacon” or rashers, which are generally thicker-cut rounds about 10 cm in diameter, and have no major sections of fat. ? [/QUOTE] I prefer the American-style bacon over other styles (back bacon, Canadian bacon (which confuses the Hell out of Canadians, as their bacon is the same as ours,) German bacon, etc…I also like mine just _barely_ starting to crisp up at the edges, with the fat still a little floppy. And up in these parts, saying you don’t like maple syrup on your bacon or sausage is likely to get you hanged! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![guizot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guizot/32/3636_2.png) [@guizot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/guizot)\ **Post date:** [June 9, 2007, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/144 "2007-06-09T21:16:29Z")
[QUOTE=HighFructose] I’ve never seen anybody cut the entire piece of meat into tiny piece all at ones, just enough to sustain a good run of uninterrupted eating. Besides, a good steak should barely be warm to begin with. [/QUOTE] I went to a “steakhouse” yesterday with a Korean and she did exactly that. It seemed odd to me. I was eating a “Greek” salad in which the chicken had been sliced already. ---
**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:** [June 9, 2007, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/145 "2007-06-09T23:48:05Z")
French toast is bread dipped in egg and milk, then fried, isn’t it? I (and everyone I know) always just called that ‘eggy bread’. It’s usually eaten savoury here, but my kids like it sweet sometimes - with ordinary granulated or caster sugar - tastes like fairground doughnuts. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/146 "2007-06-10T01:05:44Z")
[QUOTE=Anne Neville] Speaking of things that are finger food vs fork-and-knife food, ISTR hearing somewhere that the default way of eating pizza in some countries is with a fork and knife. Pizza’s a finger food to me, unless the bottom crust is too floppy or has too many toppings for that to work. [/QUOTE] I eat pizza with knife and fork. It’s easier to cut any of the stretchy/chewy things than try to bite completely through them and when there’s lots of toppings ( I like veggie pizzas loaded), it’s much easier to keep any bits from toppling off and landing on you. [QUOTE=RickJay] Canadian here. I don’t switch hands with my fork, don’t know anyone who does, and have never heaard of this “tines down” thing. [/QUOTE] You can’t cut your meat any other way. ‘Tines down’ means that they are pointed toward the plate. ‘Tines up’ would be using your fork like a spoon. [QUOTE=OpalCat] My mom would have a heart attack, since she is a firm believer in the fork+spoon=twirl method of eating spaghetti. [/QUOTE] Which would give Italians a heart attack. You are supposed to twirl the noodles with the fork against other noodles or against the plate. You don’t get a twirling spoon in Italy, nor in fancier restaurants. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/147 "2007-06-10T01:19:51Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] You can’t cut your meat any other way. ‘Tines down’ means that they are pointed toward the plate. ‘Tines up’ would be using your fork like a spoon. [/QUOTE] I don’t think that’s what people are saying, Quiddity: > [@](#): > > the butt of the fork is in my palm, held in a relaxed manner with thumb and middle finger, with the index finger providing downward pressure. Tines down, of course. I think people are saying they hold the fork in such a manner that, when holding it parallel to the plate, the tines curve down towards the table, e.g. the curve of the fork is upside down. This would be as opposed to holding the fork with the tines curved up. Either way, of course, you can point the fork at the food to spear or hold it. I believe we’re talking about how the fork is held in the hand, not whether or not you point it at the food when you want to use the fork. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/148 "2007-06-10T01:39:26Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Which would give Italians a heart attack. You are supposed to twirl the noodles with the fork against other noodles or against the plate. You don’t get a twirling spoon in Italy, nor in fancier restaurants. [/QUOTE] My mom is Irish, and I doubt she’d much care what the Italians thought. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/149 "2007-06-10T02:23:13Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] I think people are saying they hold the fork in such a manner that, when holding it parallel to the plate, the tines curve down towards the table, e.g. the curve of the fork is upside down. [/QUOTE] Right. When I eat something that needs lots of cutting, I will use my fork in my left hand with the curve of the fork making the tines point toward the floor (sorta). So the fork is a mountain. When I put the fork into my right hand, the tines point toward the ceiling (sorta). So the fork is a valley. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/150 "2007-06-10T02:35:20Z")
[QUOTE=RickJay] Either way, of course, you can point the fork at the food to spear or hold it. I believe we’re talking about how the fork is held in the hand, not whether or not you point it at the food when you want to use the fork. [/QUOTE] OK, we need photos. I can’t imagine holding a fork like a valley (or like a spoon) and then being able to spear food without twisting one’s wrist into some uncomfortable position. Scoop, sure. Spear, not so much. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/151 "2007-06-10T02:45:32Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] OK, we need photos. I can’t imagine holding a fork like a valley (or like a spoon) and then being able to spear food without twisting one’s wrist into some uncomfortable position. Scoop, sure. Spear, not so much. [/QUOTE] The fork is held like a pencil. There’s nothing uncomfortable about spearing food. Edited to add: This picture is all arty and stuff, and it’s using the wrong hand, but this is close to how I hold the fork in my right hand. The first two fingers are not so straight. [http://www.thespiderawards.com/AwardsPass/WINNERS-NOMINEES/PRO-still/pages/hand-&-fork.htm](http://www.thespiderawards.com/AwardsPass/WINNERS-NOMINEES/PRO-still/pages/hand-&-fork.htm) ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/152 "2007-06-10T02:54:34Z")
Here’s a better picture: > **[Stock Images, Royalty-Free Images, Illustrations, Vectors and Videos - iStock](https://www.istockphoto.com/)** > > iStock has millions of exclusive stock photos, videos, vectors, and illustrations that are researched and shot by a diverse global community. © 2023 iStockphoto LP. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 2:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/153 "2007-06-10T02:57:50Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] Here’s a better picture: > **[Stock Images, Royalty-Free Images, Illustrations, Vectors and Videos - iStock](https://www.istockphoto.com/)** > > iStock has millions of exclusive stock photos, videos, vectors, and illustrations that are researched and shot by a diverse global community. © 2023 iStockphoto LP. [/QUOTE] Looks kinda sideways to me 😛 ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 3:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/154 "2007-06-10T03:00:40Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] Looks kinda sideways to me 😛 [/QUOTE] That’s an action photo! ---
**Author:** ![HighFructose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/87869e/32.png) [@HighFructose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HighFructose)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 3:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/155 "2007-06-10T03:52:49Z")
[QUOTE=Quiddity Glomfuster] OK, we need photos. I can’t imagine holding a fork like a valley (or like a spoon) and then being able to spear food without twisting one’s wrist into some uncomfortable position. Scoop, sure. Spear, not so much. [/QUOTE] Fork held in hand (concave up) resting in crook of thumb and forefinger and on forefinger and middle finger further down, parallel to plate, thumb facing up. Rotate wrist 90 degrees so thumb is inside, pinky outside, top of hand parallel to ground, fork orthogonal to plate surface. Move fork down and poke… And you call American Style eaters uncoordinated? ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/156 "2007-06-10T05:49:14Z")
Yeah I’m not seeing how this is complicated. In the spirit of sharing, though, I’ve made two videos to demonstrate this amazing feat of dexterity. Please welcome my lovely assistant, a plate of leftover Thai food: [using a fork tines-up to spear food](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1886235716866692287) [using a fork tines-up to scoop food, without “pushing it all over the plate” or using a knife](http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=7028961320995636792) It’s amazing stuff, but I promise it’s unretouched footage, and there were no special effects, mirrors, or tricks of any kind. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/157 "2007-06-10T07:50:50Z")
[QUOTE=OpalCat] Yeah I’m not seeing how this is complicated. In the spirit of sharing, though, I’ve made two videos to demonstrate this amazing feat of dexterity. [/QUOTE] It’s nearly 4 in the morning. I had a weird dream so I got up for a while, and I’m surfing the Dope. That is the background for me saying that for some reason those two videos strike me as utterly hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/158 "2007-06-10T08:05:23Z")
[QUOTE=acsenray] That may be post facto rationalisation for the practice [/QUOTE] It very well could be. I wasn’t around when the rules of etiquette were first formed; I only know how people tend to think about them during the time I have been alive. I’m quite sure my Mom never said, “Be sure to switch hands, because they didn’t have forks in the original colonies”, but I don’t have any reason to believe it _couldn’t_ have started that way. ---
**Author:** ![lowbrass](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/dc4da7/32.png) [@lowbrass](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lowbrass)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/159 "2007-06-10T08:18:17Z")
[QUOTE=cher3] You’re having trouble finding good places to eat in the East Bay? [/QUOTE] Fatapple’s! There’s a good breakfast. Beans and tomatoes for breakfast? Yuck. Beans are a waste of calories. ---
**Author:** ![Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/c4cdca/32.png) [@Quiddity\_Glomfuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quiddity_Glomfuster)\ **Post date:** [June 10, 2007, 8:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036/160 "2007-06-10T08:58:03Z")
[QUOTE=jsgoddess] It’s nearly 4 in the morning. I had a weird dream so I got up for a while, and I’m surfing the Dope. That is the background for me saying that for some reason those two videos strike me as utterly hilarious. [/QUOTE] I’m LMAO. I think they should go up on YouTube with no explanation. Maybe some music. **Opal** , I put it to you that your fork tines are no longer in the ‘up’ position during the spearing and that your #2 will never work on my baked potato, my yam, or the rest of the corn or peas when the other stuff’s gone. And both definitely made me think of watching kids eat. But I do appreciate the trouble you’ve gone to and hope you end up on Letterman for having a YouTube hit. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036.md?page=7) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/switching-your-fork-holding-hand-while-eating-do-people-do-this/407036.md?page=9)