The paths diverged

[My Good Babushka]

In the 1700s when the change in dining style came to America, there were not many forks available. Americans were forced to use spoons held upside down to steady their meat while cutting. They would then switch the spoon to the right hand, right side up, for scooping. This zig-zag style persisted even after forks became plentiful, so the American and Continental style of table manners remained divergent.