Miss Manners is my idol. Well, one of many. As Aubrem says above, it's not about which fork you use, it's about being considerate of other people (something at which I fail all to often, but I TRY). One of my favorite stories, in fact (though not from Miss M), goes thusly:
An Edwardian private was invited to dine with his superiors. A plate of ice was passed around for the gentlemen to add to their drinks. The private, confused, thought it was supposed to cool his bowl of hot soup so, very self-conscious, he took the tongs and dropped the ice cube in the soup. His commanding officer, seated next to him, saw how anxious the private was about his manners and so, being a true gentleman, also took an ice cube and added it to his soup. The private relaxed, and everyone had a lovely evening.
Beyond that, I know that you are supposed to start with the outermost fork and work your way inward. It has served me well. *g*
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Date: 2006-05-26 02:13 pm (UTC)An Edwardian private was invited to dine with his superiors. A plate of ice was passed around for the gentlemen to add to their drinks. The private, confused, thought it was supposed to cool his bowl of hot soup so, very self-conscious, he took the tongs and dropped the ice cube in the soup. His commanding officer, seated next to him, saw how anxious the private was about his manners and so, being a true gentleman, also took an ice cube and added it to his soup. The private relaxed, and everyone had a lovely evening.
Beyond that, I know that you are supposed to start with the outermost fork and work your way inward. It has served me well. *g*