Re: Toast Soldiers - non-standard usage?

"Skitt" <skitt99@xxxxxxxxxxx> writes:

> Charles Riggs wrote:
>> "Skitt" wrote:
>>> Tony Cooper wrote:
>
>>>> Even then, I replace the knife on the plate before lifting the fork.
>>>
>>> Yeah, well, that is American, and I had to learn to do that, so as
>>> not to appear strange.
>>
>> You'd rather eat in an inefficient, illogical manner than appear
>> strange? Frankly, I find that a bit strange in itself; my guess is
>> few people in the US would even notice, let alone care.
>
> You forget that I was relatively young when I reached these shores,
> and our sponsors were part of the top society of San Jose. I was
> constantly advised on what "we do around here".

Did you have to be taught how to eat pie? I have to admit that I tend
to notice eating pie in the non-American way[1] more than I notice
failing to swap hands.

[1] Americans will pretty much invariably orient a slice of pie so
that the point faces them. Europeans, at least, seem comfortable
eating pie in whatever orientation it's served.

>> I suspect that many, if not most, Americans who have learned of the
>> European method employ it. Most Americans aren't even aware that two
>> methods are in vogue; they take their method for granted and don't
>> notice that Europeans handle their dinnerware differently. True film
>> fans would know, though.
>
> I believe you suspect wrong.

I believe you are right. See my post in another thread for *why*
(historically) we do it differently. I'm not sure that it's
necessarily more efficient. It's more motion, but less cognitive
load, since you don't have to decide whether a particular mouthful of
food needs to be conveyed with the left or right hand or with the
tines up or down.

--
Evan Kirshenbaum +------------------------------------
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(650)857-7572

http://www.kirshenbaum.net/


.

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