How north americans eat

[SadieMoon]

Well, I have heard it said that the european way is more logical, because we (let's assume right dominance here)  hold knife, fork, and spoon each with the right hand, the only exception being that while cutting with the knife we hold our fork in the left hand.  The "inefficiency" that Americans have mentioned to me about our way is that we have to switch the fork back and forth between eating and cutting.  that doesn't seem such a big deal to me, but, really, it does seem an advantage to learn better fine motor in the non-dominant hand, the better to be able to switch to it if ever needed.  
     I wonder how this became the custom.  I have heard that the reason the British and some former British colonies drive on the left is because Napoleon was left handed, so when he whipped his horse, holding the whip in his left hand,  his carriage would tend to stay on the right hand side of the road, and he decreed that everyone must do so, and the British in a form of rebellion chose to drive on the left.
      So, Susanne, the next time you watch a hollywood flick, see if you can catch the actors switching their fork from left to right hand after they cut their meat.  
                                                               -- Jody