# Why is it.......?



## ROKZY (Feb 25, 2009)

At a dinner party of South Africans; I noticed that everyone (except me) used their fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Why is that? Is this a cutural, etiquette, sanitary, or some other issue and should I quickly learn to do the same?

Please advise; I''m feeling "left" out


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Rockzy,its a cultural etiquette thing from our British Ancestry.
English Table etiquette lays the forks to the left ,Knives and Soup Spoon to the right in the order that the dishes will appear.


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## Fatbrit (May 8, 2008)

ROKZY said:


> At a dinner party of South Africans; I noticed that everyone (except me) used their fork in the left hand and the knife in the right. Why is that? Is this a cutural, etiquette, sanitary, or some other issue and should I quickly learn to do the same?
> 
> Please advise; I''m feeling "left" out


LMAO!

Other Xmas I was sitting round a banquet table here in the US with a dozen other people who hardly knew each other. Half were European born and raised, and the other half natives. It was not necessary to ask to find out who was from where!

Should you assimilate? Probably not! I still suffer derision from using a knife and fork on crazily larger hamburgers.


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## Daxk (Jan 20, 2008)

Aaaah Rockzy, a whole bunch of new cultures and mores to adapt to.
Good table manners are a must if you are mixing with educated people, but even they follow the cultural traditions, "Walkie talkies" which are the chicken heads and legs are eaten by hand, a good Bunny Chow is eaten using the hollowed out chunk of bread and then perhaps a spoon, a Boerewors roll and lamb chops off the Braai are eaten by hand and a chunk of stiff mieliepap (porridge) is used to mop up the last vestiges of sauce or gravy.

South Africans however are very forgiving of learning curves and the only gaffe that will reduce your invites is talking with your Mouth Full.


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## ROKZY (Feb 25, 2009)

Fatbrit said:


> LMAO!
> 
> Other Xmas I was sitting round a banquet table here in the US with a dozen other people who hardly knew each other. Half were European born and raised, and the other half natives. It was not necessary to ask to find out who was from where!
> 
> Should you assimilate? Probably not! I still suffer derision from using a knife and fork on crazily larger hamburgers.



Whewh! I knew that Europeans used both utensils at once, I actually learned to use them both in the same hand alternating (!). A few years agoin the states I had learned of the difference and I wanted to "fit in" when traveling; so I picked up the knife in my left hand and off I went. (oops) Glad to know that assimilating is not so importaint, but I may try anyway. 

Thanks everyone!


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## ROKZY (Feb 25, 2009)

[/QUOTE]South Africans however are very forgiving of learning curves and the only gaffe that will reduce your invites is talking with your Mouth Full.[/QUOTE]

That's interesting. More cultural differences: While speaking with some domestic help over lunch, It was quite obvious to me that they don't mind "see food," and a whole lot of it!  But, no worries here, I don't feel the pressure to assimilate 

Love the culture tips, ThankX


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