According to established etiquette standards, especially when dining with others, licking your fork is considered inappropriate.
While licking a fork or spoon might not be perceived as highly shocking by everyone in all contexts, it deviates from widely accepted dining manners. The core principle is that your tongue should remain in your mouth when dining with other people in your vicinity.
Why Utensil Licking Is Inappropriate
Etiquette guidelines dictate that eating utensils are primarily tools designed to move food to your mouth, not for cleaning or licking off residue. This rule is a common thread across various cultures; other countries and cultures agree with the etiquette rule of utensils being used only to move food to your mouth.
-
Appropriate Utensil Actions:
- Cutting food into manageable pieces
- Gathering or picking up food items
- Transporting food neatly from the plate to the mouth
- Resting the utensil cleanly on the plate when not in use
-
Inappropriate Utensil Actions (Includes Licking):
- Licking the fork, spoon, or knife blade clean
- Using utensils to point or gesture excessively
- Pushing food onto a fork with a knife (varies by region, but often considered poor form)
- Placing used utensils directly onto the table surface
| Utensil Function | Etiquette Status |
|---|---|
| Moving food to mouth | Appropriate |
| Cleaning by licking | Inappropriate |
| Resting between bites | Appropriate (on plate) |
Adhering to the standard use of utensils demonstrates respect for fellow diners and the shared dining space. While the perceived severity might vary among individuals, the act itself is consistently described as inappropriate within guides on proper dining etiquette.
