Talk:Cutlery: Difference between revisions
Globalise? |
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Can someone inform an ignorant Brit - how much is the term "cutlery" used in the US? I have done this article as "cutlery also silverware" rather than the reverse, because I ''think'' that "cutlery" is understood everywhere, while "silverware" certainly isn't. I just have this feeling that people can't possibly refer to "plastic silverware" - though stranger things have happened. [[User:Seglea|seglea]] 05:18, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC) |
Can someone inform an ignorant Brit - how much is the term "cutlery" used in the US? I have done this article as "cutlery also silverware" rather than the reverse, because I ''think'' that "cutlery" is understood everywhere, while "silverware" certainly isn't. I just have this feeling that people can't possibly refer to "plastic silverware" - though stranger things have happened. [[User:Seglea|seglea]] 05:18, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC) |
Revision as of 02:31, 1 September 2007
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Can someone inform an ignorant Brit - how much is the term "cutlery" used in the US? I have done this article as "cutlery also silverware" rather than the reverse, because I think that "cutlery" is understood everywhere, while "silverware" certainly isn't. I just have this feeling that people can't possibly refer to "plastic silverware" - though stranger things have happened. seglea 05:18, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)
I doubt if you asked random Americans, half of them would not have any idea of what cutlery is. ebeisher. I always thought cutlery refered to cutting things such as knives and such. Anyway, most people say silverware, or to the undereducated, sporks :-). Anyway, check out http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=plastic+silverware - ebeisher
Egad, you're right! On the other hand, a Google on plastic cutlery throws up a good number of US sites (as well as UK ones), whereas there's no UK usage of "silverware" at all... so I think it is probably the right way round. However, I can detect a tendency for "cutlery" in the US to also mean specifically cutting instruments (probably another case where US usage preserves an older English usage, actually - cutlers were specialists in knives, as the name suggests). I'll try to add something to the article to identify that.
Thanks for the spork reference, that's a great article, and I've linked it. seglea 05:37, 13 Dec 2003 (UTC)
Well, being from Canada I am aware of both terms, as well as "flatware". Flatware appears to apply to eating utensils whereas cutlery refers more specifically to knives and scissors; as apparent in some product websites: http://www.cutlery.com/t11t20.shtml.fluffybob
I would like to find a reference to the types of plastics used in the manufacturing of cutlery. (Judging from the picture, polyester is one of the chemicals.) I find that some plastic knives will react to the chemicals in an orange rine and become so soft that the resultant plastic goo can be removed with a fingernail. (Quite evident if the plastic is black in color.) Maybe I could then, with the help of a chemist, track down the reaction and chemical byproducts. (whaug) 17:48, 060118
Well, I'm from Toronto, Ontario, Canada and here, cutlery means forks, knives and spoons. I have never heard someone call scissors cutlery, nor have I heard the term flatware in my life. Silverware is said sometimes, but is uncommon. -- Anyquestions 16:13, 19 August 2007 (UTC)
Globalise?
Some one was tagged this article "globalise", complaining that it is all about western tableware. I seriously wonder how useful it would be to do that. It is my understnading that the Far East uses chopsticks (which are not cutlery, as they do not cut). Other regions use their fingers, sometimes with the assistance of a knife, but that would be better dealt with in an aricle on knives. An alternative might be to change the title to reflect its content better. Suggestions please. Peterkingiron 11:39, 25 August 2007 (UTC)