Jerry Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 It says here the Eleventh Earl of Sandwich opened some eateries in 2001, including NY, Florida, and California. I was interested to see that the original sandwich was simply a slice of roast beef with some mustard and horse radish. Simple. I dislike the Dagwood Bumstead gourmet sandwiches some foodies like to tout. That's just grumpy me. In Korea for a year I tried and tried to convince the locals that pizza is expressly designed as finger food, but noooooo, they kept right on using a knife and fork on their pizza. I completely lack persuasive skills. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bazj Posted May 22, 2011 Report Share Posted May 22, 2011 In Korea for a year I tried and tried to convince the locals that pizza is expressly designed as finger food, but noooooo, they kept right on using a knife and fork on their pizza. should have just took away their knives and forks Jerry........ think outside that box man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 When we were on our honeymoon cruise myself and the first Mrs. Inky had 6 Americans as our table mates for dinner each night. Now these were not your average products of America, the cruise was EXPENSIVE - plus they'd all flown over from the US to pick up the ship in Harwich - so they were all doctors, lawyers, retired engineers, etc. and their wives. Wealthy people, people who you'd expect to have attended the odd black tie dinner or two in the past. Not one of them could handle a knife and fork properly. One woman even had to have her steak cut up for her by the maitre d, another was completely defeated by her lobster therimdore. Forks were exclusively grasped in the right hand and used as spoons. We were told, "Gee, don't you guys eat purty!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harry hayes Posted May 23, 2011 Report Share Posted May 23, 2011 What were you doing in Korea Jerry? I also had a year there. Happy days Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted May 24, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 Inky -- my father had a mother-in-law with the family name Harwich. I used to wonder if she was a distant cousin of Sir Cedric Hardwicke. I didn't know thee was port called Harwich. Must look that up. In the stage play BECKET Henry II is saying, "what is this thing about forks -- introduced to us by the French." Becket replies, "they are washable" -- the King says, "so are fingers, I don't see the point..." Becket adds, "it's a...... refinement." Harry -- it was August 30, 1996 to August 30 1997 - under contract with the Ministry of Education to coach their high school English teachers conversational practice -- hearing and speaking -- for their Globalization program -- they brought in more than a thousand of us from Great Britain, USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland -- to familiarize their international sales people in ACCENTS. It was the best year of my life. It was against the law to watch North Korean TV but I lived in a valley near the DMZ and saw Kim Jong Il's birthday party on channel that wasn't jammed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted May 24, 2011 Report Share Posted May 24, 2011 In the stage play BECKET Henry II is saying, "what is this thing about forks -- introduced to us by the French." Becket replies, "they are washable" -- the King says, "so are fingers, I don't see the point..." Becket adds, "it's a...... refinement." So your saying that Americans have the table manners of a medieval frenchman! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted May 25, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 In defense of my medieval countrymen -- I've heard it said that the Brits use the opposite fork to ingest morsels of meat - i.e. with the left hand, while normal etiquette in the states says 'hold the meat firmly with the fork in left hand to cut it, then transfer the fork to the right hand to spear and put the meat into your mouth.' OMG! I'm getting addled in my old age. Perhaps it was just the reverse. As for lobster, these people evidently had not eaten the creatures in Maine where picking it apart with a tool other than knife and fork are employed. I would like to see a demonstration of British diners dealing with consuming those creatures. We take pride in being unpretentious, but then, you may rightfully be appalled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted May 25, 2011 Report Share Posted May 25, 2011 just a small point Jerry, but wouldn't the customs have been imported into America? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 The fork stays in the left hand, tines pointing downwards. That's why it's to be found to the left of your plate when you sit down. The knife stays in the right and is held more like a pencil than a dagger. http://www.wikihow.com/Use-a-Fork-and-Knife-Properly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 The fork stays in the left hand, tines pointing downwards. . The knife stays in the left and is held more like a pencil than a dagger. Well I'd like to watch you eat you tea Inky How earth can you hold both in your left hand at the same time.... I just tried and it's beyond me. Also a knife should certainly not be held like a pencil and even the link you give tells the correct way and I quote : "pick up and hold your knife in your right hand. The index finger is mostly straight and rests near the base of the top, blunt side of the blade. The other four fingers wrap around the handle" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverlady54 Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 Also a knife should certainly not be held like a pencil and even the link you give tells the correct way and I quote : "pick up and hold your knife in your right hand. The index finger is mostly straight and rests near the base of the top, blunt side of the blade. The other four fingers wrap around the handle" I totally agree Dizzy! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inky pete Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 Sorry, typo on the left hand/ right hand thing! I said more like a pencil than a dagger, not "in exactly the same way you'd hold a pencil", to point up the fact that the first finger goes along the back of the blade just as the first finger goes towards the point of a pencil - and because I've seen many of our colonial cousins holding their cutlery in their fists like they were about to stab someone with it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dizzy Posted May 26, 2011 Report Share Posted May 26, 2011 Yeah right Inky... don't try and squirm your way out of your odd table manners now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted May 27, 2011 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2011 Harry, You are of an age when you could have sojourned in Korea along with Maurice Micklewhite back in the 50s. I can't help wondering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted June 2, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 A Post Script to this topic on June 1. Two contenders for opposing Obama in 2012 met in NYC -- and the attending press were aghast at Donald Trump's use of a fork to ingest pizza at their dinner. He explained that he did not care for the crust on pizza, and was merely scooping up the cheese, tomato sauce, and accoutrements. Still, a question has arisen: is he really a New Yorker, home of pizza mania? Will he show us his birth certificate? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 2, 2011 Report Share Posted June 2, 2011 Believe he's not standing now Jezz; looks like your going to get Palin as THE contender; and as Bush has proved, being thick, is no bar to the White House! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jerry Posted June 3, 2011 Author Report Share Posted June 3, 2011 Worse luck. My own brother thinks that since The Donald installed a 70 foot high flagpole on his golf course on Palos Verde Peninsula, with a super large American flag, Donald Trump is the most patriotic of all the contenders. Since I've stopped putting out a flag on July 4 my brother insults me with emails about 'patriotism'. There's probably one in every family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 There is a saying Jerry "patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
observer Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Oscar Wild? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Samuel Johnson. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter T Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Samuel Johnson. Didn't the poo try to sign him? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Samuel Johnson. Didn't the poo try to sign him? Another saying we have is " you can't teach bacon" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Jerry, we have the Earl of Sandwich and you have Colonel Sanders Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P J Posted June 4, 2011 Report Share Posted June 4, 2011 Sorry, typo on the left hand/ right hand thing! I said more like a pencil than a dagger, not "in exactly the same way you'd hold a pencil", to point up the fact that the first finger goes along the back of the blade just as the first finger goes towards the point of a pencil - and because I've seen many of our colonial cousins holding their cutlery in their fists like they were about to stab someone with it! Perhaps its the company Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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