Reply to Teach Me to Raise an "Upper-Middle Class" Child

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]
Just out of interest, I'm from the UK and so I eat "Continental" style (which I assume means knife in one hand, fork in the other, cutting and eating as you go?) Is this style of eating considered lower class or bad manners in the US? I'm not planning to change, just interested!  Where I'm from, I'd say the US style is considered either bad manners or, if the person doing it is American, then it would be excused as "American", but still not considered the proper way to eat. Interesting, I think, because I think it highlights that the really important aspects of class and manners are in how to treat other people, and that is probably international and universal, although there are differences as to what is considered courteous and polite in different cultures. But table manners are very cultural - e.g. the way one would eat in Japan and appropriate table manners are very different to those in Europe and the US[/quote]
My parents are Indian, and so I was taught British table manners including keeping my knife in my right hand. I'm not PP, but I think there's a difference between eating slowly and how you use your knife. It sounds like the issue is not the hand he's using for his knife, but the fact that he's shoveling food in his mouth. My completely anecdotal experience is that British people eat slowly, more like Americans. British people don't come across as poorly mannered because of this. But Europeans eat much faster, which does appear a little rude by American standards.[/quote]

I noticed just the opposite, that Americans tend to eat very efficiently, so very quickly, making the other nationalities feel a bit uncomfortable: "am I eating too slowly?". [/quote]

This really depends on the individual.  I often eat with groups of other nationalities, mostly European, overseas, and I notice I am usually the last to finish a course.  But it happens with Americans as well.[/quote]

Scrutinizing table manners to the minutia is poor class and low class.

Picking one's teeth or nose at the table, blowing one's nose at the table, licking ones fingers, chewing with your mouth wide open (without regard), anything blatantly rude is all that really matters.  Use common sense, or at least pretend to.[/quote]

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