When finished with your meal, place the fork and knife diagonally across your plate with the handles around 4 or 5 o'clock and the tines and blade around 10 or 11 o'clock. (For you youngsters raised in the digital age, who have no idea what "o'clock" is, make sure the handles of the fork and knife are in the lower right part of your plate and the tines and blade in the upper left part of the plate.) The knife is to the right of the fork on the plate and always blade in, facing toward you.
This is an efficient way of signaling to the wait staff or to your host/hostess that your plate may be cleared. (Rather than have them guess or say, "Are you done? Are you done? Are you done?...)This is the finished position, whether you are eating American or Continental/European style. Sometimes those who eat Continental/European style will turn the fork tines down in the finished position.Since brevity is of the essence in the Etiquette Tip of the Week, next week we will cover the "resting position." (Still about the fork and knife.)Brought to you by the Culture & Manners Institute.
