Starr Flagg, Undercover Girl!!
Our plucky CIA operative has been assigned to protect Sir Archibald Sexton, the British Egyptologist who seems to be the only one who can prevent a faction of "zealots" from taking over the Suez Canal and the oil fields!!
Unfortunately, she gets there a bit late...
As he briefs her on the goings-on...
But you can't fool Starr Flagg for long!!
After some intrigue and adventures, she deals with the bad guys and rescues Sir Archibald. But he's asking the same question you are...
Now, I'm left-handed, so the oppressive etiquette rules of the fascist right-handed world have largely been ignored by me. And as far as I know, I've never shared a dinner table with someone from jolly old England.
So, British friends, is it true that "Englishmen never shift their forks to their right hand when they eat. They use their left hand with the fork"?? Is this a thing?
I mean, comic books would never lie about something like that, would they?
I am reminded of this bit from Inglourious Basterds:
Damn, maybe eating and drinking etiquette rules are the key to good spycraft!!
From Manhunt #10 (1948) as reprinted in Manhunt #13 (1952)
As an Englishman, I can confirm that it is indeed the norm for a right-handed Englishman to hold his fork in his left hand. It isn't compulsory though and there are some who hold it in their right hand instead.
ReplyDeleteI was taught this as well, in the American deep south.
ReplyDeleteThe "dead giveaway" in FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE is the Russian spy ordering red wine with his fish. Perfectly normal in Russia, but to James Bond ... well!