Why do American eat with only one hand? They are constantly changing hands to eat.?

Question

Would it not be easier to keep the fork in the left hand and the knife in the right and get on with it?

Answer 1

It's uncomfortable, who do you think we are, Europeans? JK, I noticed that Europeans use both hands so I tried but it's hard as heck!

Bottom line...Americans are just cool like that....

Answer 2

Umm...the only time I switch hands with my utensils is when I'm cutting up a steak or something similar.  I'm right handed so it just makes it easier cutting and holding the knife in that hand and then switching the knife with the fork for picking up the pieces.

I don't know where you're people watching at but you must pay waaaaaay too much attention to things.

Answer 3

This is how we were raised, so it is comfortable for us.  Most of us are right handed and we hold the fork in that hand.  It is our strong hand and we use the knife in that hand because of its strength.  It's just the way we do it.

Answer 4

Meanwhile, many Americans are wondering why the British eat peas with a knife.

The reason Americans tend to eat with one hand is because, never being too concerned with high society, and historically more concerned about "getting to chore on the farm early", table manners are usually limited to keeping your elbows off the table, not burping, and saying "please" before "pass the salt", and to be honest, most of us don't keep our elbows off the table, and the word "please" is usually replaced by "can" though "salt" is usually followed by "please".

In Europe, however, how one held one's utensils, or food, was a matter of class because the upper class was always attempting to distinguish itself from the common folk by demonstrating they were more refined (this is the same reason why some chinese characters have become so complicated).

Americans, on the other hand, were not nearly as concerned with this.

Answer 5

there is more control of the knife in your right hand.  i know its weird, but thats what i grew up learning, and probably most others have also.

Answer 6

The only time I use a knife is when I have to cut something like steak.  Most of the time I only use a fork.

Its too hard for me to use the left hand to eat since I'm right handed.

Answer 7

It is really easy to learn to do things the civilised way using two hands, it just takes a little practice. I had mastered using my knife in my right hand and my fork in my left by the time I was 4 years old!

We all have a dominant hand, just like we have a dominant leg, and a dominant eye, but we can all use both of them all.

I assume it is a cultural thing.

Answer 8

Because we love to shovel it in!!! My mom's parents are European so we had to learn how to eat properly with the fork in the left and knife in the right. I eat this way out in public and at nice dinners because it was pounded into my head that that was the civilized way to eat. When I'm at home, however, I eat like an American.

Answer 9

It's proper etiquette here in the US.  

I checked a couple of sites and couldn't find anything specific (I put the link to Emily Post below - that's the standard for etiquette in the US, not sure if it's recognized globally or not).

I remember, when I was young, seeing someone from Europe using their utensils the way you suggest and I asked my mother & grandmother about it.  I was told (not sure if this is "true" or if they just were trying to shut me up and move on so keep that in mind as you read on) that the way we eat is more civilized and that ill-mannered people don't take the time to put the utensils that they are not using at that moment down before putting the food in their mouth.  

I also recall etiquette class from Jr High - they really emphasized the fact that holding more than one utensil in your hands WHILE EATING is considered ill-bred (in this case WHILE EATING means when putting the food in your mouth - not when you're cutting or otherwise "manipulating" your food before putting it in your mouth).

Since becoming an adult I've traveled throughout Western Europe and the UK on several occasions and found that "they" tend to have much better manners than I see many Americans exhibit on a daily basis so I think that my mother/grandmother's definition of "civilized" was a bit skewed.  

Personally, I've always wondered if it was a way of showing that we were "independent"... you know, once you got off the boat, you shed some of the ways of the old country and joined ranks.  I think that's part of how "American English" came about and always smile when I see words spelled differently (civilized vs civilised; grey vs gray;  behaviour vs behavior; etc...)

An interesting question... I can't wait to see what others say!

  

Answer 10

It's because in America, the right hand is the "clean" hand, with which we salute, shake hands, and such, whereas the left hand is the "dirty" hand, which we use to wipe ourselves when we use the toilet, m********e, and such. So it would be considered dirty to bring food to our mouths using our "dirty" hand. So we use our right for both.

No, I'm joking. To be honest there is not a real explanation, it's just a silly custom, the origins of which I am not familiar with. I myself only hold my fork in one hand, and it works just fine.

I have a feeling we won't be doing the switchy-thong for long.

Answer 11

dude, we can really wolf it down when we us the fork in our right hand.  Try it sometime.  Cheerio.

Answer 12

I do that. Sometimes I eat apples, sandwiches, etc. with one hand. If I cut something up i use my right for the knife and left for the fork.