How (not) To Eat Ok then Yanks, you need a lesson in table manners. 1) How to use a knife and fork.....hold the knife in your right hand (or in your left if you're cack handed), the fork in your left, hold them as you would a pencil with the haft in the palm of your hand. DO NOT hold them upright in clenched fists and then turn your fist over to cut your dinner, it makes you look like a caveman. Next, cut up your food with a sawing motion, pin the food with your fork, cut with the knife (see, that's why they give you knives at dinner !). There is now no need to put down your knife, swap your fork into your right hand and use that to pick up your mouthful of food, but that's what folk do, then transfer the fork back to the left hand, pick up the knife and start all over again. Honestly, it's simpler and more efficient the way us Europeans do it, and it looks smarter as well. 2) How to serve a three course meal. Many main courses, particularly in diners, come with a free soup, and you may have ordered a starter as well. How I would like this served is..... Soup (or starter if you must), then a decent pause whilst I eat my soup. Starter (or soup, hey ho), then a decent pause whilst I eat my starter. Main course, then, well you've got the idea. What often seems to happen is this.... "Hey buddy, here's your soup, and your starter, and Dave's just behind me bringing your entree, have you thought about dessert and coffee yet ?" We had a all our courses at once last night and it hardly fit on the bloody table. You might think from all this moaning that I'm having a crap time, but no, it's just the opposite, we're having a fantastic time, and to balance up the moans above I'd like to point out some nice things. 1) The Yanks are really friendly, really really friendly. They shout greetings at you from across the shop / bar / restaurant as you enter, they like to chat about why you're here (they all think we're Australian though until we tell them otherwise) and they sound like they mean it. 2) The Yanks are very polite indeed, everyone here in Flagstaff is really nice, when they wish you a good day, or say that they hope you have a great evening, it really sounds as if they mean it. I've been to New York, where some people manage to make "Have a nice day" sound like "I hope you die soon" but here, you can't help but say "Cheers mate, that's nice of you", and then they all say "You're welcome". Flagstaff - Arizona, home to nice, well mannered people, even if they can't use cutlery.