Since most people are right handed, why is the fork placed on the left-hand side of a table place setting?

Answer 1

Table settings were designed for a person to eat with both a knife and a fork, even salad is eaten with both a knife and fork if you want to be very formal. So, like someone else said, the knife can't go in the 'dodgy' hand, it goes in the dominant hand.

Answer 2

Because you use a knife and fork together, you use the right hand for the knife and the left hand for the fork, soup spoon will go on the outside right side, because soup is served before an entree or main caurse. As for the salad, on a formal setting, the same rules would apply. The only time that a fork should be placed on the right hand side would be for informal/casual dining when fork food is served, which is food that doesn't need a knife, or oysters, the baby size fork is place at the top right hand side above where the knife would be, at a 45degree angle.

Answer 3

"Gravyelbow" got it absolutely correct!

When dining, according to absolute proper etiquette, all food is to be pushed onto the fork with the knife with the fork in the left hand. In some countries, other than US, it would be an insult to constantly transfer the knife and fork from one hand to the other. The only exception to this rule is when the dessert is to be eaten with a fork.....the dessert fork is positioned at the top of the charger plate, tines up and facing to the left. This alerts the guest that it is acceptable to pick it up with the right hand.

In some countries, the reason for using the left hand to transfer food is because only the right hand is used for taking care of body cleanliness. Interesting factoid, I thought.

I, too, find it inappropriate for someone to "stab" at their food. I can always spot the people who have had proper training just by the way the hold their flatware. It's amazing how many socially inadequate people there are in this country.

Answer 4

Because you hold your meat with the fork in your left hand and cut your meat with the knife in your right hand.

Given that logic, you might wonder why the salad fork is also on the left since most of the time we don't need to cut our salads with a knife. I would have to guess that the salad fork goes on the left for symmetry and balance and unity.

The spoon goes on the right because soup comes before meat entree and you use your right hand to eat soup.

You could argue for the spoon, salad fork, and knife to all be on the right, but you lose that symmetry and unity visual.

Answer 5

The fork is on the left because you pick it it with your left hand and the knife with your right to cut meat.

Answer 6

because right-handed people are supposed to hold the fork in the LEFT HAND, and use the right hand for the knife.

if you cut all the food in the beginning, or the food does not require cutting, then you use the fork in the right hand.

Answer 7

You use the fork in the left hand and hold it with prongs faces down and use your knife to cut or push your food onto your fork.... still with prongs facing down. I wish more people used proper etiquette while dinning... I'm so sick of seeing people stab there food

Answer 8

yo dine properly you cut with the right hand, place fork on the edge of the plate, and transfer the fork to you right hand.

Answer 9

Because a knife requires more precision, so it's used with the dominant hand... which is usually the right.

Answer 10

WHAT?

I dont even get any fork. All i get is a pair of chosticks on my right and nothing on my left.

This is discrimination.