Pretentious Manners Adopted by 1880

Depiction of Delmonico’s restaurant in New York City, late 19th Century — There is speculation as to the origin of each method and why they differ. Edward Munves Jr. of James Robinson, dealers in antique silver and table wares, says it may be traceable to the robber barons of the 19th century. “It was a form of pretentiousness adopted here around 1880, when the robber barons went respectable,” Mr. Munves said. “But by now, it would be more pretentious than practical for people to return to the old, or European, way of eating.” On the same era in America, James Beard, gourmand and cookbook author, said: “It was considered more elegant to sit with one hand in your lap during most of a meal than to use both hands to simplify dining.”

In Europe, Table Knife Is Versatile

Use of Silverware Often Puzzling

Americans who travel abroad for the first time often wonder why Europeans handle their knives, forks and spoons in ways so contrary to American custom. They may even disapprove, judging it ill mannered. In Europe, the table knife is versatile and the use of silverware is often puzzling. The Continental way of dining involves the simultaneous use of fork and knife. The fork is held in the left hand, the knife in the right. At no time is the knife put down and the fork transferred to the right hand. The knife is used not only for cutting, but also to press foods onto the back of the fork.


According to Emily Post, it is Americans and not the rest of the Western world who are out of step. As long ago as 1922, when Mrs. Post's book on etiquette was first published, she deplored this “zigzag” custom in which the fork is constantly transferred from the left to the right hand, saying that it was “strange” and “not seen at the tables of fashionable people.” Amy Vanderbilt, however, believes that either custom is proper, as long as it is performed with ease and grace. “But the Continental style often encourages people to bolt their food,” Ms. Vanderbilt warned. “I've noticed that women who dine in the European way often bend too far over the table in a way that is less than elegant.”


Many Americans stoutly defend their custom and say to adopt foreign ways would be an affectation. Others, however, have chosen to switch because the European manipulation of the table implements seems faster and more efficient. Robert Meyzen, maitre d'hotel of La Caravelle restaurant, reports that more and more Americans are adopting the Continental method. “I think that people are beginning to realize that to put the knife down after cutting the meat, and then to switch the fork into the right hand represents a loss of both time and taste,” Mr. Meyzen said.


There is speculation as to the origin of each method and why they differ. The American custom, Mrs. Post has suggested, may have started as a way to slow down children who were fast eaters. Edward Munves Jr. of James Robinson, dealers in antique silver and table wares, says it may be traceable to the robber barons of the 19th century. “It was a form of pretentiousness adopted here around 1880, when the robber barons went respectable,” Mr. Munves said. “But by now, it would be more pretentious than practical for people to return to the old, or European, way of eating.” In commenting on the same era in America, James Beard, gourmand and cookbook author, said: “It was considered more elegant to sit with one hand in your lap during most of a meal than to use both hands to simplify dining.”— By Rita Reif, 1963

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