Table Manners

[Canuker]

Interesting, isn't it, how we believe that we alone have the corner on the truth?

[amybeth4]

It's interesting to me how the OP was talking about bad table manners and most people (including the OP) commented that the review must be talking about the European vs. American way of eating. She commented on the way people hold their forks and knives. When Euros and Americans cut food, we hold the knife and fork the same way. Fork in left hand with index finger pointing down, knife in right hand.

 

Then when we shovel food in, the Europeans continue using the left hand while we idiots take the time to switch to the right. But I don't see bad table manners either way.

 

PERHAPS the original review she was talking about is referring to what I CONSTANTLY see, (including from my best friend...and it drives me nuts), which is when people wrap their entire fist around the fork handle and stab the food with the fork while cutting. To me, someone who wraps their fist around the fork are the ones who were never taught how to properly hold a fork...and I see it SOOOOOOO often.

 

Don't go flaming me...it's not like I SAY anything to anyone about this. But I do notice it because it looks pretty ridiculous.

 

I'm just sayin'.

 

People on the 11/1 Liberty sailing, watch out if you're at my MDR table! :)

[gxchan]

I'm with the other posters who don't pay attention to how others hold their flatware. As long as the people I'm dining with chew with their mouths closed, don't talk with their mouths full, aren't flinging food around (intentionally or not) and don't pick fights at the table, I'm good to go.

[BehrHunter]

 

PERHAPS the original review she was talking about is referring to what I CONSTANTLY see, (including from my best friend...and it drives me nuts), which is when people wrap their entire fist around the fork handle and stab the food with the fork while cutting. To me, someone who wraps their fist around the fork are the ones who were never taught how to properly hold a fork...and I see it SOOOOOOO often.

 

Don't go flaming me...it's not like I SAY anything to anyone about this. But I do notice it because it looks pretty ridiculous.

 

I'm just sayin'.

 

I would say about half the people I encounter eat like that. I'm sure it's not PC to mention it since nobody is to blame for anything anymore but I agree. It looks stupid.

[mechcc]

I'm with the other posters who don't pay attention to how others hold their flatware. As long as the people I'm dining with chew with their mouths closed, don't talk with their mouths full, aren't flinging food around (intentionally or not) and don't pick fights at the table, I'm good to go.

 

Me too. Good conversation is much more important to the enjoyment of a meal.

[temple1]

I'm with the other posters who don't pay attention to how others hold their flatware. As long as the people I'm dining with chew with their mouths closed, don't talk with their mouths full, aren't flinging food around (intentionally or not) and don't pick fights at the table, I'm good to go.

 

Since none of us seem to know what the original offense was, I tend to agree with gxchan. As long as my table mates are not smacking (makes me cringe), burping, talking while chewing, spitting or other forms of crude behavior, how a person holds a fork and knife is of no concern to me.

 

We can all say what we want about clothing- the chides of clothes police etc - and late arrivals at dinner; but when my tablemates are grossing me out it is time to put a stop to it, yes I notice and it does impact on my enjoyment of my dinner. So far on cruises we have been fortunate enough to not have encountered absolutely crude behavior.

[insulationbabe]

The smacking drives me nuts too - if we ever have someone with over the top bad manners and couldn't stand it - I would ask to be moved - We had a mom and two teenagers on one trip and the daughter was absolutely horrible - grabbing food off her mothers plate - putting the food she didn't like on mom's plate and driving the waiter nuts by asking for strange items, not even on the item and whining the whole time - thank goodness they were always late for dinner so we were usually done by the time they arrived-- if this ever happened again - we would be moving to another table:)

[cruznjan]

Having grown up in a family with a father who worked for a European company, I have become used to using a knife and fork in the European style. Some people look at me odd at first, but I don't care. I actually believe it is more refined than the American style, and it is easier to use it that way! I am always surprised that people still don't know what the European style. With all the Travel Channel hosts and Food Network chefs using the European style, you would think it would not be such a big deal when people see someone using their utensils that way!

 

The European style of eating makes more sense to me, considering we set the table with the fork on the left. Until I went to Europe, I couldn't understand why it was there. I have somewhat adopted the European style because it is easier - no shifting back and forth when cutting food.

[joan72761]

Well when we were stationed in Germany 20+ years ago, we ate pizza out and they thought us americans had no manners because we held our pizza in our hands to take a bite and they all ate their pizza with a knife and fork. Different cultures - just got to observe and enjoy the differences.

[Janice M]

UPDATE: I understand the cruise director's staff will be now be passing through the dining rooms and passing out key chains to those who display proficiency in using their utensils. :D Sorry... couldn't resist.

 

Oh, thankyou. Just what I need another key chain. My DH will probably get one. A lot of times he uses his fork to cut some food. :)

 

Jan

[joan_al]

Well when we were stationed in Germany 20+ years ago, we ate pizza out and they thought us Americans had no manners because we held our pizza in our hands to take a bite and they all ate their pizza with a knife and fork. Different cultures - just got to observe and enjoy the differences.

That brings back memories of my grandmother lecturing to my mother that I was eating pizza like a pig. Same reason, I picked it up with my hands and didn't use a knife and a fork. My father chimed in, saying to her (his mother) in Italian that the Americans are always in a rush.

I remember sitting at the dinner table for hours waiting for my father to get home from his job so we could start to eat dinner. Once in a while he would call to allow us to start without him.

[Desert Cruizers]

Despite the fact our dear mother taught us proper table manners etc, I never concern myself with how others use their silverware. I pay more attention to the company we are with and how much fun we are having. :)

[The Viking]

Americans want to be certain their rare steak does not walk off the plate, so they stab it hard with their full weight on the fork as they slice the meat into small pieces.

 

Another thing different in the North American and European dining habits are the sizes of the portions which can especially be noticed in the Windjammer. Have you also noticed that Americans often are the first to finish their meal where as Europeans seem to be enjoying their meal more?

 

I know I am generalizing, but it is very interesting to notice such differences in our behavior. That is one thing that makes cruising and travel so interesting.

[rjm1cc]

As long as they are polite I don't really care how they hold their silverware. Hopefully they don't mind that I am doing it differently than they are.

[Loves_Dogs]

I'm lefthanded, so I guess I've always eaten in the European style, LOL.

 

As for table manners, as long as food doesn't come flying my way from somebody's mouth and I can understand them because they've swallowed before speaking, then I'm not likely to notice how they eat. If they're being rude and obnoxious to the waitstaff I'll notice that, but would also bet that they're rude and obnoxious to anybody else on the ship in a service position and chalk it up to their being jerks.

 

Same here...being lefthanded, I always eat that way (my son is a south-paw too). Never occurred to me that someone might think we had no manners because of that...LOL!

[dual]

The only thing I cannot stand is people talking with their mouths full of food - I really dont want to see anyones mouth of mashed up food...gross! :(

 

Im gagging just thinking about it :eek:

[alwayshappytocruise]

The only thing I cannot stand is people talking with their mouths full of food - I really dont want to see anyones mouth of mashed up food...gross! :(

 

Im gagging just thinking about it :eek:

 

Yeah, that is gross!! I used to work at a place where the whole dept. ate lunch together weekly. One person, yes Anita I mean you, only chewed with her front teeth and seemed to wait until her gob was full before talking. Disgusting.

[Missus Makkem]

Why is cutlery called flatware?

[sg1phileshipper]

I never realized I held my silverware the wrong way, until someone asked me if I was left handed. Can't seem to cut my meat with my right hand, so I hold my fork in my right and knive in left. I don't think it's a European thing perse, cause my mom does it the other way around. I hope some people didn't think I had bad table manners.... :eek:

IMHO bad table manners is chewing with and open mouth or talking with food in your mouth, or am I wrong???

 

Cindy

[twoatsea]

BerhHunter, thank you for the video. Very interesting, but would not pass muster with my mother & grandmother. The video woman said it was ok to cut more than 1 piece - that was a definite no-no for us kids - "The meat will still be there after you chew that bite!". She also turned her fork down & after placing her knife on the table, she left her arm on the table - OMG :eek: - absolutely would have gotten talked to in our house!!! The hand stays in the lap unless it is being used to cut food & to take a drink - "Are you too tired to hold yourself up without leaning on the table?"

 

Sadly, I have not maintained the high standards I was taught :o I now eat too fast - DH says caused by all of those 30 minutes lunch breaks at work! Other than that, I do the rest ok.

 

However, my husband, remnants of being raised by a very hard working single mother (father died when he was 8 yo) has horrible table manners. Plus he basically cannot breathe thru his nose - results, he sometimes eats without closing his mouth for every chew. He also is a lively soul (& wonderful!), & he gets excited & sometimes forgets not to talk with food in his mouth. I've worked on him these 50 years, but I accept him as he is, & usually remind him before we go out with others (or go to dinner on a cruise!). Sadly, this usually makes him feel self concious & his true friendly personality is stifled as he concentrates & tries not to make a mistake. That's one reason we are happy to have gotten our 2 seater table. I just feel sorry for others who eat with us & hope they like him well enough to graciously accept him also - our friends do.

 

This is our 50th anniversary year & we are still best friends & still lovers! :D Which is the main reason we are thrilled to have our 2 seater table confirmed! We have yet to find anyone else whose company we like as well as each others - we do everything together! So, we do lots of visiting with others during the day (we love to meet new folks), but dinner is one of our together times on a cruise.

 

2 more nights/1 more day & we leave for NY!

 

Happy dining, everyone.

[jplotts865]

Oddly I've never encountered anyone with really bad table manners - and I'm a stickler for such things generally. And there are European and American variations on this theme - I just can't master the "continental style" of manipulating that knife and fork and I've tried!

[RetireeWannabee]

I never realized I held my silverware the wrong way, until someone asked me if I was left handed. Can't seem to cut my meat with my right hand, so I hold my fork in my right and knive in left. I don't think it's a European thing perse, cause my mom does it the other way around. I hope some people didn't think I had bad table manners.... :eek:

IMHO bad table manners is chewing with and open mouth or talking with food in your mouth, or am I wrong???

 

Cindy

You aren't wrong.

 

I really don't care how someone holds their utensils, which hands, etc. not fond of folks eating the meat off the knife, but can live with it.

 

I agree that Bad Manners are talking with a mouthful, slurpy noises/audio of any kind (includes Yummy noises, grunting, lips smacking ...), reaching across another person, not waiting until everyone is served, being rude to the waitstaff or fellow diners and that kind of thing.

[MoYerclan]

My MIL used to cut up everything on her plate at one time at the start of the meal, turning the entire plate to get to all the food. It was disgusting to see her plate after she finished this ritual. Very unappetizing! She also had no idea that if she held her knife and fork properly (either continental style or American, machts nichts) the process of cutting would go so much smoother than struggling with her claw fists around the utensils.

 

One woman I've traveled with in the past had this horrible habit of tossing her napkin (cloth ones even!) onto her plate when she was done eating, no matter that others were still eating. I have NO idea where someone would pick up such a gross habit!? Did she never learn to lay the napkin on the table next to her plate when the meal was over? And until everyone is done that napkin doesn't belong tossed up there. I sure would hate to be the person having to launder those napkins.

[carhirer]

The European style of eating makes more sense to me, considering we set the table with the fork on the left. Until I went to Europe, I couldn't understand why it was there. I have somewhat adopted the European style because it is easier - no shifting back and forth when cutting food.

 

Funny. When I am eating in front of the TV, with the plate on my lap I find the "other" way easier

 

1. Cut up everything into bite-size chunks

2. steady plate with left hand

3. stab food with fork in right hand