Saw a couple of guys eating ribs this evening with knives and forks. I asked an off-duty police officer if there was a number between 911 and 311 I could call. He said, "No, call 911!"

Some people just need to be beaten.

Where were they from? Did no one intervene?

I gave a talk at a meeting last Saturday and ate lunch with the group afterward. They had some excellent brisket and some bbq/smoked chicken that was divine. I was trying to stay clean and be polite, so I was using a knife and fork on the chicken when one of the wives said, "Honey, you're among family and friends here. You pick that chicken up and eat it right!"

Ain't she a dear?! That sounds like something the Huntress would say.

I can only guess that they from north of the Manson-Nixon line. I was gonna say something, but heard an echo of Mom saying, "play nice."

Yes, I suppose it was best to let it lie. I don't know that I have the patience to eat ribs with a knife and fork. I wonder how those fellows would fare at a Maryland crab boil?

P. S. I have high hopes for this thread. That's all I'm sayin'.

LOL

Besides, "Hey big ole dude, what you doing with that knife and fork" just didn't sound quite right.

I had some ribs this past weekend that I had to eat with a fork because the meat just would not stay on the bone. I tried to eat them properly, but the meat was just too tender. Is that an acceptable excuse?

Meh..depends. Were you pulling the meat off of the rib with your fork, or forking the meat off the butcher paper tray after it fell off?

There's the key right there. You weren't at one of those high-falutin' joints where they use plates were you?

If they were that tender, you wouldn't even need a fork to help pull the bones apart.

You're 'posed to get it all over your fingers. How much on your face varies with venue and relative facial hair.

in my best Homer Simpson RRRRRRIIIIIBBBBSSSSSSS

But, pray tell, is proper etiquette for eating one of those massive pork chops at Cooper's in Llano? Where does one draw the line at being a carnivore vs. a civilized diner? I guess there is always the "if it's too unwieldy to pick up whole and eat it gracefully, you might as well wait until there's just the bone to gnaw upon" provision.

Dang it, now I have to make a trip to Llano... shucks might as well bring the fly rod too.

Michael

I cry foul, Sir. I spent the first 20 years of my life way up north in Massachusetts and I have never seen anyone eat ribs or fried chicken with a fork. Then again, I was more the "hi, I'm Larry, this is my brother Daryl, and this is my other brother Daryl" type of new Englander, not the Kennedy (spit) type.

Only time I've seen someone eating lobster use a fork for other than getting the bits of lobster out of the butter was in the South. That was in a fancy eating place in a high falutant neighborhood so I would suggest the fork had more to do with putting on airs rather than geography.

-Personally I'd shovel anything in my mouth if it means I could eat it quicker. BBQ, Burgers, Caviar, Totinos Pizzas, full sized hams, or those awesome 1/4 pound conies at Sonic. Don't forget tha Franks though.

-How many of you just got images of me eating 6 different food types I am proud!

Please note, kind Sir, that I typed "Manson-Nixon" rather than "Mason-Dixon." The Manson-Nixon line is sorta like Margaritaville - its anywhere you want it to be.

LOL, I missed that. Dang, I live in the land of Manson and Nixon now. Gonna have to go eat at Tony Romas and watch. There's a lot of strange happenings out here, might just be some rib forkers too.

Tony Romas can throw down some fine ribs. Hmmm, Hmmm, Hmmm!

They say, "let sleeping dogs lie." Do cats also tell stories when they are sleeping?

Here is Annika Cat helping me assemble a new cabinet for fly ting materials:

Those three parts would have scamperd out the door had she not held them at bay.

That was a fine program. I need to hunt down the final episode where Bob Newhart wakes up from a long dream with Suzanne Pleshette at his side.

Now my PC is getting all blurry - wikipedia says that Suzanne died a few years back.

Some years ago, my sister and I had a cat which we called Stephanie - after the blond maid on Newhart. Mom tried to call her Tigger, but she was such a b!ach, that we called her Steph. She would roll over, ask for a belly rub, and then attack.

I think Annika Cat is a distant cousin.

From rib talk to cat talk. Oh well.

Back to rib talk. It was my wife's auntie's birthday today so they had a surprise bbq for her. There I was, among a bunch of Californians, and my son and I were the only ones eating the ribs with our fingers! These are mostly construction guys, so they aren't the hoity toity type, but every one of them used a knife and fork to eat the ribs! There are very strange happenings out here in California.

Glad to hear you two were eating them properly.

Must be a regional thing. Sorta like the Coke vs Pop vs Soda thing.