Re: First report on Conm

Quoting Nik Taylor <yonjuuni@...>:

> Andreas Johansson wrote:
> > This right-handed European would consider using the fork with your
> right hand
> > to be a left-handed thing to do, _even_ if you ate with only a fork.
>
> Why left-handed?  Why would you use your weaker hand to eat?
I think Mr Cowan gave the answer: the Dead Hand of Tradition (tm). I was simply
brought up that way.

Historically, I'm told it is because that  in the good ol' days people ate alot
more recalcitrant dried food that had to be cut with considerable strength,
wherefore the right-hand, that is the stronger for most people, was used for the
knife, which meant you had to use the fork in the left, which habit was then
etiquettized. I susoect it may also have something to do with the fact that
people have been using knives to eat much longer than forks. When
left-handedness subsequently became more societally accepted, it was apparently
felt to be logical that left-handers should eat mirroredly compared to
right-handers.

                                                          Andreas