I am American and if I am eating something that needs to consistently cut, like steak, I never put my knife down until I'm done eating it. Also, he should've mentioned how for most American meals people don't even use a knife, they will cut with the side of the fork
Okay, I will say this. I am a LEFT HANDED AMERICAN. The fork stays in my left hand and never leaves it. My knife is used exclusively by my right hand. I am always holding my fork, but my right hand will put down the knife to drink something. My dad and nephew are both also lefties and we eat the same way. But I have a brother who get positively LIVID that I don't do the stupid knife and fork switch thing. I don't need to. My dominant hand already is holding the fork. My food won't fall off on the way to my face when I eat it, unlike if I switched to my clumsier right hand. Trust me, I know the pain of eating right handed, because a few years ago I broke my left hand and was stuck eating like a child for two months while it mended. lol
I'm also a left-handed American, and I DO the dumb knife/fork switcheroo because my right hand is pretty useless haha, so I use my left hand to eat, but also to cut. It's the only way that feels natural to me.
I'm also a left-handed American and I eat exactly the same way you described. As a matter of fact, I had no idea that switching hands was a thing - I've never noticed that anyone does it, and no one has ever commented that I don't. It seems so absurdly inefficient that I can imagine why anyone would bother.
I'm right handed and I've tried to use the knife with my left hand thinking it'd be easier but ended up doing pretty horribly. Majority of left handed ppl seem to have much better control with their non-dominant hand. However my fork normally never leaves my left hand anyway lol
I'm British and I am right handed, but I eat exactly how Lauren did in the video. Fork is always in the left hand, knife in the right. It's drilled into us to eat that a way from a young age.
The official American signal for "I'm done eating" is to put the silverware together, pointing at the center of the plate, with the handles hanging off at about 4-5 o'clock (lower right). Never separated or on the table. One big rule is that once a utensil is used, it never touches the table again. It stays in your hand or on the plate.
Exactly. It's apparent that these two people in the video hardly know much about dining etiquette. They were simply showing common practices that were familiar to them.
That is basicly the official International sign of "I finished the plate"... while crossed means "I am still eating". But in modern days many people don't know it. That is very confusing for weighters. Once I was shouted by a guest why I haven't taken off the (for her) finished plate for over 1/2 an hour... I replied : I had past your table several times, but your crossed cutlery signaled me that you are not finished". From this Video I have to assume, that she was US american.
As an American, i never use my non-dominant hand to hold the fork while cutting with my dominant hand and then switch hands to take a bite. I just use my dominant hand to use the fork to eat and cut with my non-dominant hand. Because eating the way he described takes too much effort and time just to put a piece of food in my mouth.
Exactly. To me, attempting to use the non-dominant hand for something that demands - at least - a modicum of accuracy - otherwise you keep stabbing yourself - to me is a bit irrational! A straightforward slicing action can be accomplished with either hand.
I always use my dominant hand to use a knife for more control, it it were a particularly sharp knife, I wouldn’t want it to slip. If I don’t need a knife I use whatever utensil in my dominant hand.
56 yr old American and never seen anyone switching hands during a meal. I'm a leftie so fork in left and knife in right when I'm cutting, otherwise I don't use the knife. Most Americans tend to use the side of the fork to cut if the food is tender. I think like everything else depends on region where you were raised but more importantly HOW you were raised. Some of us in the 60's and 70's had Home Economics classes and were taught meal etiquette there, otherwise your parents taught you.
If one is a lefty ambidextrous one would switch once in a while. German Grandma would slap my hand when she saw me use my left had for things that shouldn't be used by the left hand. Now I write with my left but can write with my right a bit (looks like doctor's chicken scratching) I use the scissors with my right. Drove my aunt a little crazy when I keep switching hands with the fork. :) Something like steak or slice of thick ham, you cut is up if it is for a child and you cut a piece at a time if adult if either becomes leftover and you reheat the meat, the bits may become leather bits and the "whole" has less of a chance to be leather.
I was brought up in a very classical British school, so I very much recognise Lauren's way of eating as being the "taught" method. That being said, I deviate from it in one respect: I hold my knife like a pen, or like a surgeon holds a scalpel. The reason being, of course, that my mother was a surgeon and originally came from a country where they don't really use knives to eat with. So when she came to the UK, she held a knife how she would normally hold a scalpel and taught me that way too. It's - to me - so much more precise and fast that way and surprisingly gives more targeted cutting power when tackling tough meat.
With all due respect to her, a lot of what she said was incorrect in regards to British table etiquette… I think they just grabbed the first British person they could find for the video
When I learned to teach we were still using chalk with blackboards. To hold the chalk properly we were told to "hold it like a knife, not like a pen". @sweeperboy is correct that holding the knife like a pen is a deviation from the "correct" British way.
From the UK here, and I was always taught that to signal you are finished to a waiter or waitress, they look to see that the knife and fork are together, usually resting towards the centre of the plate. I don't know if it matters too much whether they are on the edge like Lauren's, but I think I always try to make it easier for whoever is going to collect my plate, and on the edge just seems like a disaster waiting to happen when they pick it up😅!! But totally agree with Lauren on how to use the knife and fork for eating - you can mix flavours together on the fork as well, but the other way just seems a bit of a long process!
It's a nice series, and it leaves me wanting to see the next one. In the U.S. I think that a lot depends on the family, or the venue. And even the type of restaurant. In an upscale restaurant the conversation is going to generally be polite and normal volume, but the more public, outdoor, or casual, the louder conversations can become.
So much fun! 🇺🇸 An American viewer, I agree with Cameron and also switch hands around when cutting things with a knife. But just depending, I don’t usually use knifes most times. I will just use my fork to eat simple things.
I've nvr actually seen anyone doing this (I am from a working class family in the Midlands tho so I don't speak for everywhere) and instead most people, myself included, will eat meat or like hardish vegetable with the fork upside down, then for like beans or mash flip the fork and eat them like that but idk
This is one thing I (Chinese) eat differently from the British, despite using fork lefthanded just like her. The pit of the fork could be sometimes used as a spoon to shovel the food (probably peas or carrot/potato blocks). Or just use that spoon which is for soup. I know this might look barbarous but it works with efficiency.
I was always told by my (Australian) parents that it was the correct way, as were many of my friends. I refuse to do it though cause it doesn’t make any sense
As a kid growing up in southern England that was very much my question, but it's just the way we do it & now I do actually eat like that if I'm using a knife and fork! Supposedly helps you have smaller mouthfuls.
I’ve literally never thought about how I eat in the US. I never had a class on etiquette or anything. My family never really cared, since we barely ever ate at the same time. The idea of a quiet restaurant is insane to me. If I don’t hear four people screaming at the game, and slurring curses. I consider it a more fancy restaurant. I learned all kinds of cussing as a child just by being at a Rocknes, Texas Roadhouse, and Grinders.
@@lone982 Most US sports bars are usually chicken wing places for families with a bar. And there's usually TV's on every wall. Sometimes multiple on one wall with each on different stations for different games.
I've always eaten the way the British cut their food. I was always told by my mother and grandmother that I eat very European, and I never knew what that meant until I saw videos like this.
That's not European at all, just British playing with the food and being rude, like they don't wanna eat the food. Normal is more like the American way in the video, except for the putting the silverware down all the time
@@dutchgamer842 No European way is the same as the one shown by the English girl. Americans eat with a fork only and that’s not done in Europe, we eat with fork and knife and that’s the polite way.
I always put my elbows on the table and my feet clear out in the middle. I also cut my pancakes with a fork instead of the knife that's in my other hand. I'm beginning to think pancake knifes are for sword fighting, mostly because......you can't.... With meat knives.... OH! I also summon a server by slurping as loudly as possible, and blow bubbles in every drink to check the co² levels.... But at home I'm also an average American who skips breakfast, woofs down lunch at work, and can't eat dinner unless it's in front of the tv
@@dutchgamer842 Apparently you do not have the faintest knowledge of how us Europeans eat. Most countries have exactly the same table manners as shown by Lauren. The American way of eating is the more like the way our small children eat; looks anything but normal to a civilised human being. Not to mention the disgusting habit of drinking either Coke or coffee with your meal. Yuk!
Cameron, you rock dude! I always grab the fork with my right and knife with my left. I actually switch fork and knife sides as soon as I sit down. I've always held the utensils this way. My wife hates it but, I mean, I'm eating after all and eating shouldn't be stressful.
but then the blade is facing the wrong direction unless the knife is made for left handed people. ease of cutting has much more to do with the way the blade points than with anything else. it is hard to explain without pictures, i tried typing it out but it just sounds confusing... but you could test blade orientations in relation to the thing that you are cutting and it makes a lot of difference in how efficient it is. it isn't really about etiquette it is more about the design of the knives. but in the end once a kid learns to eat a certain way it is pretty much game over later in life.
I’m from the US and when I studied abroad in Denmark, my host family roasted the way I eat at almost every meal. (Not because I have bad manners but because I eat so differently) But they also eat tacos, pizza, and hamburgers with forks and knives soooo
Canadian here and I have definitely seen both styles of utensil holding (swapping and fork always left). It varies from person to person and family to family. The way of putting down utensils to show that the meal is ongoing or complete matches the American manner. Propped up for ongoing and in the plate for done.
My grandmother taught me the American way and expected me to do that. I forgot about it entirely until watching this. Truth be told American grandparents were very regimented and had a lot of pride. The baby boomers were like "we don't care about any of that!" So at home verses my grandparents home were two different worlds. I saw benefit in them both. But anyhow.... in America people just don't like open mouth chewing, burping, and slurping. So as long as you eating quietly no one really cares what position your fork is in.
@@e9cw196 Sure, you can, but in a restaurant most people will look down on you, because eat rice with spoon is seen as something for small children, who can't handle with fork and knife yet. 😅
The fork down thing is crazy. And I'd love to hear the logic behind how having a fork up is rude? Using a fork down is almost like trying to eat soup with the spoon facing down. There is a reason there is a curve to it. To hold the food. Sometimes true with some people on how Americans cut things and eat it. Some just are used to doing things with their dominant hand. I do it like her but I'm pretty ambidextrous so sometimes I switch what hand cuts and what hand has the fork.
Fork down is for solids and it works perfectly. After all everything is stab and won't fall off, but are acceptable. Eating soup well that is just with a soup spoon and both Americans and Europeans will have the same Etiquette for it. Unless they were not taught. To me as long as you're not eating with your mouth open and making noise, I don't care how they eat. And eating from the floor which I never understood.
I'm American. Thankfully I am ambidextrous though. So while I normally eat with my right hand... If I need to use a knife, I will just use my left hand to eat, while using the knife in my right. Now... Prongs on the fork always point upwards.The fork is used to gather the food, not the knife. The knife is only used to cut tough meats. Otherwise anything that is soft enough to be cut just by using the edge of the fork... means we will go without using a knife for the meal entirely. This may not be "proper etiquette" but the vast majority of Americans eat this way.
In the UK the atmosphere depends on where you go to eat, if you go to a posh restaurant obviously you're on your best behaviour and so is everyone else, bit more classy and respectful. In fancy restaurants you're supposed to dress a bit more respectfully as well, we call them "black tie" restaurants because you're supposed to wear a nice shirt, tie and shoes, no jeans and t shirt. But if you go out to eat somewhere like Wetherspoons or The Harvester (chains that are half pub, half restaurant) people are a bit more rowdy, lots of drinking and laughing, much more relaxed. It's a bit different now since the pandemic, but before then these places always used to be very loud, stuffed with people and families just having a good time and joking around. On football days Wetherspoons is hectic, you wouldn't go out for lunch there when the footy is on. They show the match on a big screen and loads of people stay in the pub all day drinking, the atmosphere is in high spirits, so to speak. The worst atmosphere for eating is in McDonald's, it's not uncommon to walk into a McDonald's and see drunk teenagers pissing about and somebody yelling at their kids. Nobody goes to McDonald's for the sophisticated experience lmao though I'm sure that's universal
I think that everything you said translate fairly well into America Culture. I think we call fancy restaurants just "tie restaurants". Our version for a Wetherspoons will be Buffalo Wild Wings or Wing Stop. Thought I don't think many Americans eat inside fast food places anymore (Unless they're there to protect themselves from the weather). If we want a good place to sit down we go to coffee shops. Most of us take fast food to eat on the go or our destination place.
@@alexwyler4570 Are you an American? Do you even know that Trader Joe is? There are plenty of us who sit down to eat at least one meal a day with our families.
The uk in sense of restaurant loudness i guess is pretty similar to all of europe, it's not silent, but you talk and are mindful not to disturb everyone else
Not true. Europeans can be as load as American even more sometimes. It just depends on the restaurant. No one is going to be silent at a pub while eating. Southern Europeans can be loaded than Germans per say. It all depends on the region. I actually lived in Europe and Americans have lower voices and tend to keep with themselves compare to say the British. I live Spain and can tell you that everyone can be loud. Especially when on holiday. Once you get to the fine dinning everyone at that level knows what to do.
Hmm I'm American and if I'm eating something that requires a knife I don't ever put it down, but I cut with my left hand and eat with my right (cut with the prongs down, then flip it over so the prongs are up). But I very rarely ever use a knife. The other night I was at a family dinner and someone got up to grab a knife to cut the meat and everyone was like "Why are you getting a knife? Is the meat not tender enough?"
I understand where Cameron is coming from as I definitely don't keep the knife in hand while eating. And depending on if the food is tough to cut I might switch to my dominant hand so that there's more power in the cut.
@@mattybrunolucaszeneresalas9072 not tryna argue or anything but i believe that sentence was just sarcasm. they're basically putting "hearing his laugh" and "deaf" together to presumably show how "idiotic" that is. just wanted to make this clear haha 😅
Interesting... Here in Germany we would also have the knife constantly in the right and the fork in the left hand, with the knife for cutting and assisting. But I don't think we are putting much emphasis on if the fork is facing up or down... If I shove something on the fork I always have it facing up, but if I'm just stabbing something I think I do it both ways, never thought about it 🤔 But if we're finished, we place both knife and fork in the 4 o'clock position.
Same in Sweden as in Germany. Every kid here is taught at young age how to hold the cutlery, and then it just becomes habit and everyone eats like that without giving it much thought. First time I realised Americans does it differently was when my family visited relatives there and they started laughing at the dinner table and asked us why we held on to our knives all the time. To them we looked weird, and to most europeans (I guess?) the american way of holding the fork in the right hand looks like lack of good manners.
The US doesn't have an official way to eat. Dinner etiquette taught in the US in special classes is taken from European roots. The way the dinnerware is set, how its used, and where to place the utensils to signify being done. Day to day ways to eat and dine truly come down to how you were raised. For me personally, it just depends on the setting, who I'm eating with, and what I'm eating.
In the Western world there is American dining style and continental dining style. If you take etiquette classes you will learn both styles. There is also an International dining style that incorporates Middle Eastern and Asian dining etiquettes that many companies will have their employees take if they travel for business.
@@larynOneka8080 - the etiquette course I took told us there was a difference but not to even bother because everyone else in the Western world would consider the American way rude. The only difference they said you could allow is to hold the prongs up for the fork in the left hand for the American way but to NEVER switch hands because every other western country would think you were uncultured. So the course insisted on teaching us the European way of eating because it was way more versatile. And I have to say it’s true. We were at a wedding and there was a gentleman at our table from Eastern Europe and his wife who was American commented on our etiquette and he said that our etiquette was the way the entirety of Europe did it. I say it’s better to practice the way most everyone else does than the strange way that the young man said to do it in the video. Most cultured Americans will understand that you’re eating the traditional European way and it won’t be an issue. I’ll add that it makes sense because most fine dining establishments serve European food or European influenced food. So when eating European style food, it is best to use the etiquette the Europeans use. One should not use European etiquette when eating burgers and pizza for example. That would be considered bizarre and improper etiquette for that type of food.
I grew up in America with an English father and Canadian mother. We were taught the British form of table manners growing up. When you were done eating the knife and fork were to be placed at six o'clock. My brother became a school teacher and tells me in the culinary arts classes taught in American high schools the rule is the knife and fork are to be placed at four o'clock.
I'm American, one thing my family did was to take a portion from a serving bowl and pass it to the right. No one took a bite until all the serving bowls were passed by everyone. Then the last serving bowl was set down, then we ate. From the look on people's faces who joined us, this was new. Yes we switched hand like demonstrated in the video. We also waited until everyone was finished before leaving the table.elbows were resting on the edge of the table, not quite on the table. Don't ask me where that came from.
@@susandevinenapoli7649 I am not sure, but I do remember some etiquette stuff when I used to be a caterer for fancy events, forgot a lot of it as that was back when I was in college
That is proper American etiquette. That is the way I eat. You would never start eating until everyone is served. Even at a restaurant if only some food is brought out the ones that received the food would wait. If it was a long wait the person waiting would say, go ahead and eat.
Chinese here, and when I eat steak I use the British etiquette. Not for a reason of elegance but efficiency. The dual switch could take up to 5 seconds each time. You could make twice the turns without wasting time switching hands. Also: Prongs up are a lot more dangerous as you may hurt your teeth!
American use their dominate hand to eat with and when he moved his fork to his other hand, I knew he was right-handed, I am left handed and would not move the fork to my right hand to eat.
In Finland we officially eat with the "British Style" (maybe a general European style?) but when I am eating at home I don't pay that much attention and I eat with a mixture of British and American style. Also in Finland if you continue eating, you can just out the fork and knife randomly on your plate but if you're finished you should put the kinfe and fork to point at 5 o'clock.
That's just Laurun doing it like that, most of Europe it is just like the American way in video except of putting the knife down all the time and moving the fork to the other hand.
Firstly I’m in America I was born in Austin and I actually eat with a fork and a knife sometimes but I don’t take so much effort to switch the fork ever. I have the fork in my left hand and the knife in my right, I cut with the knife behind the fork to make sure when I’m done cutting that piece it’s already in the fork and then I eat it with the prongs down in the same hand that had the fork before.
Same here. We do the same meal etiquette 🟦⬜🟥🇫🇷 as our neighbor's British. Always eating properly. Manners is really important We French say "couverts" for utensils Not sure if those guys do the same 🇩🇪🇮🇹🇪🇦🇱🇺🇧🇪🇳🇱
@@christophermichaelclarence6003 omg I was literally about to say that in Canada they don’t say couverts because couverte I believe is their word for blanket so it would sound too similar. That’s my hypothesis
Unless you're making a mess and eating like a complete savage, no one is really going to care how you eat with a knife and fork in the US. To perceive someone as rude for how they hold their silverware is one of the pettiest, most pointless and stupid things one could ever be concerned about.
It's really not as big of a deal as Lauren says, at least in my experience. I didn't even know scooping with your fork was apparently rude? No one cares.
Its called having standarts. Not caring bout standarts is a slippery slope that leads society where we are now. Rude fat slobs who do "whatever and however" they want. Disgusting.
@@MeanApollo If you need to hear necessary truthfulness, you should probably learn how to spell "standards" before appointing yourself as an arbiter of such.
As a German, I hold the fork more like a pen and prongs up when eating. I only face the prongs down when cutting meat. Also : Never put the knife down. Don’t switch hands. Never eat with hands at a restaurant. Always keep both hands visible on the table , but don’t put your elbows on the table.
isn't it that once you started eating silverware shouldn't touch the table any more, but if for some reason you have to put it down, you should always rest it inside of the plate. but you can always put down your cutlery, why not?
i cut all my food at once. i use the knife in my dominant (right) hand to cut and my fork in my off (left) hand to support it. once im done, i put down my knife leaning on the side of the plate and switch my fork over to my right hand to eat
@@avysek What I'm saying is that clothing styles are generally the same across the West and East Asia as a whole. What exactly would an American and a Briton talk about?
I don't ever remember being taught dining etiquette, although I do remember my aunt eating the British way and I thought it was so fancy! Also, Cameron singing the happy birthday song super quietly was hilarious!
In Sweden we eat the same way as Lauren. But when we finish we place the knife and fork together at '5 o'clock'. We would even go so far to eat pizza with knife and fork 😄
In India, everyone literally eats their food with their hands without the help of any knife or fork which is pretty cool as you get more satisfaction whilst eating your food as you can take in all the different flavors and also in large portions especially when you're starving😁
@@nitishsaxena1372 You betcha mate. I take pride in our culture of eating food with our hands. One shouldn't be ashamed of their own culture which has been adopted by our ancestors from all these years.
Indian's do have some rules like eating food with help all five fingers not three or four and to always eat with right hand (exception left handed) during eating food the other hand should not be on table.
I'm an inverted eater. It's SO EASY I don't understand using your fork in your left hand. The knife just goes back and forth... the Fork needs stability strength and dexterity. Also, you cross your utensils in the UK to say you're still going and you place your utensils together at 8:40 with the nice inside, blade inwards as food comes in from the left and out from the right.
I like this video! On my travels through the states I’ve always been a kind of exhibit because of my Austrian European style to eat, just slightly different from the British style (we do not stack different parts of the dish on the fork, just one by one). I was remembered of many funny scenes people where amused by my using knife and fork during the whole meal. Some guys called it to be very sophisticated, like at the King’s table 😉
Wow, switching the fork hand AND turning the fork upside down are to strange to me as a German. But if we are finished eating we place the fork and knife just like the English do. It's a finished eating symbol.
They’re both strange to me as well. And living here I never knew that. I just cut the entire steak and then eat it. It’s really weird and cumbersome to turn it upside down for some strange reason
I live in Spain, Barcelona to be exact, everyone could be load. We all know everyone comes to Barcelona; and I've seen it all. Everyone is load. It's a myth that this group is loader than another group. I've seen the French be super load and I've also seen the British be super load. Although I find the British to be more rude in certain aspects. As they only want to speak English and expect everyone to cater to them. As well as being a little demeaning to other races. How many times have I heard, "How did you learn to speak such good English" referring to British person,, they didn't consider white and of British decent. Even though some of these people were born or raised in the UK. The one thing is that even though I find them to be super rude in certain aspects they are super nice in others. They love to share things, which I rarely found in the French. To be honest Americans at a party were more reserved and quieter than the Europeans. They always kept to themselves and in their groups as Europeans are more likely to socialize with other people, epically on holiday.
I’m a Japanese. In Japan, basically our etiquette is British style. When we want to show “eating”, we put knife and fork like “ハ”. “ハ” is “ha” in Japanese. When we are done, we have to put together at the side on the plate.
I’m American and I found that I do both. I have no idea why. I drop the fork at times like the “American” style, but I also keep the fork and eat palm down like the British style. Could be because I grew up overseas…idk.
In South Africa we have the exact same eating etiquette as the British (probably because we were a British colony, but so was America; maybe we just didn’t change so many things?). Our English is also much more similar to British English than the Americans are (comparing American to British English)
The current eating etiquette that is used now came about during Victorian Britian. United States at that time, and still is, not cultural connect to the UK.
American here i never seen proper eating etiquette in the US ever 😂 how I cut meat is I take the knife put it between the fork prongs and eat no swapping hands 😂 but I do put my pinky out when I drink anything. Then when I’m done eating I place the silverware on the table 😂
As an American I get a nice headstart on the cutting if I need it, then switch and switch it up between the sides and meat, that way I only ever cut once or twice. If I need it though, the only time I'd need a knife is with meat since it's too tough to cut with a fork.
I was taught (UK) to place the knife and fork together and parallel in the 4 o'clock position on the plate when I had finished eating. Cutlery in any other position would indicate that eating was still in progress. Also, I do not believe it is etiquette in a formal situation in the UK to pile different food items onto the back of the fork and there is certainly no need to do so when eating peas: if they are not skewered by the prongs, they can surely be discreetly squished with the knife and will then adhere perfectly well. One thing not mentioned is that many people in the UK do not know to hold the knife in the traditional way: instead they hold it as though holding a pen. I am afraid it is a class indicator. The American way reminds me of how small children are fed: their food is cut up and then they pick it up with either a spoon or a fork pointing upwards. The drawback I see to putting down the knife continually is the increased likelihood of its falling off the plate and soiling the tablecloth! That is less likely to happen if both implements are held securely throughout the meal. British people who eat ready meals in front of the TV with no table in front of them sometimes use the American fork technique, holding the food carton in the other hand.
@@keithbulley2587 No American drops the knife off the plate. We are accustomed to it. Setting down knife and switching hands allows a pause. A slow down to the meal. You look up and make eye contact and maybe speak. It is just a natural pause.
This isn't just British vs American, this is people who are willing to become ambidextrous vs people who only want to stick to being right-hand dominant.
I’m left handed so I always use a fork with my left hand no switching sides. If I have to cut something I cut it with my right hand. So fun seeing differences
Not gonna lie, I’d love to go to a Texas Roadhouse with Lauren just to see the shock. Especially if someone is having a birthday that night. As an American…I hate going to bar/grill chain restaurants like that because it really is way too loud. But that also makes me wonder what the pub atmosphere is like, and if they may be more similar?
i love bar and grill and sports bar atmospheres. it feels like everyones just having a good time and arent worried about offending anyone with their "improper" etiquette
I am Swedish. I eat similarly to the British way (aka eating). However, despite being right-handed, I eat in the opposite way to how most right-handed people eat. Right hand is fork, left is knife.
I am right handed as well and i use fork in right hand. I don't think anybody has ever said anything about it. In Finland you can really eat however you like and nobody bats an eye. There are really no "rude" way to do it. Not that we have that many offensive customs anyway, not any i can think of.
As an Indonesian, personally when I have to use knife and fork in my meal (generally we use spoon and fork or our hands to eat here in Indonesia) I'd do the same thing like Cameron 😂
Saya secara alami pasti pake gaya lauren. Krna gk pernah terbayang waktu makan kamu tukar posisi sendok dan garpu di tangan. Gk efisien justru merepotkan
I'm German and been living in the UK for about 12 years now. Honestly, people here still look to me like they have no manners. The way Brits hold their cutlery is what I see in children in Germany or even most of Europe. My English wife has also adopted now the same way I hold my cutlery but her family makes me laugh inside every time
My parents used to look at me weird when I’d hold the knife in my left hand to cut with and use the fork in the right to keep my food pinned. Right handed, and it just feels natural to cut that way. I can apply more pressure with the fork in my dominant hand so it’s easier to keep the food in place.
A lot of Americans today aren't ever taught the traditional manners, as above, and will get angry and defensive if their existence is even mentioned. However, they still matter in some circumstances. For example, if you go to a business lunch, and don't use proper manners, you will be judged. BTW, it's perfectly acceptable and normal to cut 3 or 4 pieces from that invisible steak before switching hands. Nobody that regularly eats with traditional manners cuts only one piece at a time.
It doesn't make me angry, I just think it's silly because literally 99.9% of the US population just picks up their silverware and eats without any thought to which hand they should be using to hold it.
@@David-hr8mq We literally do the same thing in Britain. This girl is probably from a wealthy background somewhere in the Midlands. Here, in London, we basically eat the way the American guy was. We're aware of the way the girl was eating, but nobody eats rice or whatever without switching the fork to your right hand.
I’m American. I would be uncomfortable eating in public the British way because I was taught from early childhood that proper etiquette is to eat with one hand under the table. You can remove your hand when you are using both your knife and your fork then put the knife down as much as possible to reposition your hand under the table. If I’m eating soup for example my hand will stay under the table the whole time. I would put the spoon down to reach for my glass with the same hand. And definitely no elbows on the table. Napkin in your lap.. Also I go to a lot of banquets where there are multiple forks and spoons for different courses so you need to know how each is positioned in the place setting to know which is for what. We don’t usually eat 3 things on a fork at one time. At a formal meal this would probably be seen as uncouth to mix together foods. You usually eat one thing, then take a bite of another thing. I scoop my English peas with my fork. I only see people cut all meat at once if they are doing it for children. Now if you are eating at a home or at Da Chkn Shak then the rules are more lax 😂 My family is very lively with conversation at meals. I think in the US it’s the rich white families who tend to be more formal at home meals. Their parties tend to be dull too.
Knowing which utensils go with which course is definitely a skill most Americans never learn, nor have to learn. This is in part because most of our meals are "family style" (you might be served your meat, but you take your sides from large dishes in the center of the table, and to save dishwashing, you usually use the same fork and knife for all your courses except if you serve dessert at the end). The only reasons for a second (and/or third) spoon are if (1) soup is part of the meal, (2) there is a hot or cold beverage that requires stirring (e.g. hot coffee or tea with milk and/or sugar, iced tea with sugar, chocolate milk), (3) dessert requires a spoon (e.g. ice cream); the only reason for a second fork is a dessert that requires a fork (e.g. cake or pie). A lot of restaurant service (especially at casual restaurants, which are the most popular type) tends to strengthen this lack of knowledge since separate utensils are brought with the course rather than pre-set at the table (again, to save dishwashing). FWIW, unless you're buying very expensive flatware that has a lot of open-stock options, you don't even get the option of having separate (but identically-sized and -shaped) salad forks and cake forks, individual butter spreaders, demitasse spoons, iced tea spoons, fish forks and knives, lobster forks, etc., also, sufficient and/or specific serving utensils (hot and cold meat forks, slotted spoons, a second or third "tablespoon" - i.e., serving spoon, individual large spoons are referred to as "soup spoons", etc.) There are similar issues with dishware/china (open-stock and specialized options only available at the highest ends).
@@webwarren That is true of many family style restaurants. They are just interested in getting people in and out. I go to a good many business/organization/professional type events. I see formal table settings at wedding receptions too sometimes. When I was in high school we had a lot of awards banquets. I’m not so sure “most” Americans never encounter this type of formal table setting. I grew up middle class and I think most Americans are middle class. I remember using the wrong fork once at a high school function and another student pointed it out. After that I started paying more attention because I wanted to use proper table manners for that environment.. There is scrutiny in these environments. Usually the only food on the table at these events are bread and butter and salad dressing. Sometimes dessert will be preplaced in front of the plate if the servers aren’t offering an option. The servers remove each course bowl or plate before presenting the next. I went to an event this past week that was middle of the road formal informal and I made a point to watch people. Most of them ate with their hand mostly under the table. I have a set of silverware my grandma bought me.
@@anndeecosita3586 My grandmother's fancy flatware (which went missing decades ago) included individual butter spreaders, demitasse some, iced tea spoons, lobster forks (kind of odd for flatware in a Jewish home!), extra forks and teaspoons for salad and desserts... The only service it didn't have were a lot of serving pieces and fish forks and knives. But most flatware you buy in a standard 50-piece service for 8 consists of dinner fork, salad fork, knife (which will never be sharp enough to cut steak), soup spoon, and two teaspoons per setting, plus a jelly spoon and a butter spreader. These sets do not have open stock options to add the missing pieces or serving pieces.
This reminds me of when I was learning table etiquette in my Japanese classes and it was SO complicated, much more than British or American etiquette. I find it always interesting and I do like table manners. If I’m eating by myself or with family I don’t really mind but if I’m eating out or with friends I try to follow some basic etiquette.
I am Indian , And the only UNTENSIL most used is a SPOON...otherwise Everything is 🤛🤜🤏 Also i like the British way of Being Silent in a restaurant and making sure YOU aren't interrupting anyone with your Loud talks In India EVERTHANG IS LOUD....BY BEING LOUD WE ASSERT DOMINANCE.... People here also Judge your competance on what kind of restaurant you go...as India is a Status driven society, We have a habit of Looking down our noses on People.
I'm American. We never switch hands with the fork. That seems so wierd. I was also taught to" marry" the knife and fork on the plate when finished eating?
I'm American and I don't switch the fork back and forth. It's too time consuming! As far as conversation goes, it really depends on what region of the USA you are in and your ethnic background. For example, we Armenians have loud, lively conversations.
@@vaskarbaidya618 I can see you don't use our forks (like south east asians, with their pins/sticks) but knives and spoons? How do you eat soup? Do you drink it from the bowl always?
@@herrbonk3635 well soup is not the thing that we eat very often but yes in that case we use spoon of course....but in my case I keep the bowl aside until the temperature is tolerable and then I eat it from the bowl....😂😂😂😂 In India there is also some kind of curry that we make,which is like soup and we mix it with rice an then pour it in our mouth....😊
Fun video. Being of German British I’d add, was always told that used cutlery was never placed back on table top. Always in hands feet or right handed the same. Triangle position for rest or spaced out on each side of plate & napkin in seat after excising yourself (loo or phone). However, at home, any UK lad, u get lazy & pee cut some bites. Yes it’s slow but I think the old French concept is to encourage eating slowly to take your time to chew. Something many Americans try to rush. Scooping moths full w/ the spoon. Hehe.
I am an American and I always have my fork in my left hand and knife in the right hand because I am a southpaw. I normally cut up most of my food and then eat, but this also depends on the what I am eating. I never use a knife to cut my piece of cake. The way Lauren holds her folk is upside down and this is only acceptable when eating steak. To eat all other foods, the fork must be like Cameron used the fork. After I eat, the knife and fork are just placed on the plate.
Ii the UK conversely - it is considered bad manners (or at least very 'common') to eat with your fork tines up at any time, also more certainly bad manners to use the fork in your right hand. Nobody will complain (but they WILL judge & think less of you for it...). There is a certain skill in mastering this left hand times down style - although it becomes second nature soon enough. Even if not your dominant hand - "practice makes perfect". You will find most Brits will find it harder to operate a fork accurately in the same way in the right hand, because they have a lifetime of experience in the left hand and in this mode the knife action is also extremely important and also needs to be precise. The comment "its not a shovel" is often heard from parents when their offspring do not follow the plan properly.
I cut with the right eat with the left. No need to switch hands of what ever the heck that was. But we do eat with the prongs up usually. It’s way easier to scoop up things with the prongs up but I guess that’s what spoons are for.
The main idea of British utensil etiquette seems to make sense... But... Wtf, I would never want to eat peas on the bottom of the fork, rudeness be damned... That is the most inefficient thing i've ever seen lol
I don't even know how someone can be petty enough to really care about how other people eat unless it's a fancy setting lol. Like if I was in the UK and ate how I normally eat I don't want people staring at me I just want to eat in peace
This is too funny. I can always spot a Brit in a restaurant by how they eat. I lived in England for 12 years and sometimes I find myself eating like them (fork "upside down") and when I realise I'm doing it I stop immediately LOL
i dont understand it. why try to balance the food on your fork when you can flip it over so that if the food isnt properly skewered it can be caught with the curve, like a spoon. imagine trying to use a spoon upside down. it would be extremely inefficient and pointless
@@MikeRees spoons dont have tongs. would be inconvenient to use a spoon to eat something like a steak. thats kind of like asking why i dont use a fork to eat soup
@@Jzombi301 the chick in the video said we stab peas. We don't. We use the fork like a spoon. Like you said. You only stab things that have the ability to be efficiently picked up. Obviously
From Thailand, because we have many kinds of food such as Thai, Chinese, Cantonese, Indian, Japanese, Western style so we use many kinds of utensils. For Thai food, we will use spoon and fork, after finished meal , we will put spoon and fork together at the middle or one side of plate. But Thai food is variety, if it is north or north eastern food which eating sticky rice, we need to use hand to make sticky rice in one bite. And we will use spoon or hand to top up on the bite of sticky rice. It depends on what food do you eat with sticky rice, the best one is roasted chicken or roasted pork, we have the best ingredients to marinate the meat. Sidewalk of Thailand sell it a lot, you can try. Next one is the most popular food eating with sticky rice is Somtum ( spicy papaya salad) we can adapt to use fork for it. Chinese and Cantonese food is also popular, we can see many use chopsticks and short spoon for noodles. Because of Thai Chinese style noodles is unique, we fried garlic to make soup noodles or dry noodles has more fragrance which you can not experience this from Chinese origin noodles ( I can guarantee for this because I go to many places in China ) Thai Chinese soup will crystal clear but good taste. Are you hungry yet, welcome to THAILAND.
Same with Malaysian, we generally/universally use fork and spoon (long body with narrow thin edges scoop) or just the ✋ instead of fork and knives. Chinese, Korean, Japanese style would be chopsticks and spoons. I think this is only in SEA countries.
I'm American, and I use my steak knife in my left hand. I cut one bite at a time. Mixing different items on your plate is crude. Placing a knife and a fork very near each other on your plate means you are finished eating, otherwise place them far apart
