A Japanese glossary of chopsticks faux pas (2022)

Post by fghorow » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 11:34 AM UTC

floren wrote: post #63

waffletower wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I had mostly disposables but they were actually lathed wood. The crude rectangular cut chopsticks are terrible -- usually not for splinters, but they often break imperfectly, leaving you with two sticks with different lengths.

For those cheap chopsticks, I've found the best way to break them is to grasp them at the very tips, then move your two hands away from each other briskly without twisting, just straight apart. I haven't had many break badly since I started doing this.

Post by JKCalhoun » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 11:40 AM UTC

thaumasiotes wrote: post #207

JKCalhoun wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I thought it was okay to shovel noodles, but have not heard it was okay for rice.

I haven't been specifically informed as to either question, but I find that idea surprising, since noodles are infinitely easier to pick up with chopsticks than rice is.

Post by anal_reactor » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 11:53 AM UTC

lo_zamoyski wrote: post #223

anal_reactor wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I feel like there was a brief period when middle class came to existence and started mimicking customs of the upper class, which were very complicated because the upper class was mostly bored and had invented this shit to kill the time. Then two things happened: 1. Upper class stopped being formal because formality stopped being a signal of upper class. 2. Middle class stopped having social gatherings in general. So,…

> invented this shit to kill the time This is unnecessarily flippant, trivializing, and reductive. The upper classes had the time and position to refine manners. I think one mistake people make is to think manners are arbitrary nonsense. But manners, when fitting, honor the self and others with conduct that suits the dignity of the human person and functions as a sign of that dignity. You cannot tell me that a man hu…

Post by Hasnep » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 12:02 PM UTC

october8140 wrote: post #230

This is why Japan is not having kids. They are more worried about rules to make everyone’s life miserable.

Post by Lio » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 12:18 PM UTC

Lio wrote: post #212

AdamN wrote: post #192

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Some of them of course are invented whole cloth. British Received Pronunciation was invented and needs to be learned and is the standard of the upper class. It's neither right nor wrong but it's there to differentiate.

You say “needs to be learned” but that’s no more so than any other accent. We just grow up with it because it’s how our parents and the parents of our friends speak. If you want to change your accent you can, of course, get elocution lessons but most Brits do not. We just have a large variety of accents of which RP is one.