knife and fork
1. a. lit. as used in eating at table. Hence in various phrases referring to eating, as to play a good knife and fork, to eat heartily.
| 1727–38 Gay Fables i. Farmer's Wife & Raven, Then, to contribute to my loss, My knife and fork were laid across. 1809 Malkin Gil Blas i. vi. ¶2 Domingo, after playing a good knife and fork..took himself off. 1852 Dickens Bleak Ho. xlv, My digestion is much impaired, and I am but a poor knife and fork at any time. 1888 A. S. Swan Doris Cheyne i. 21 I'll be glad to see you over to a knife and fork. 1889 Boldrewood Robbery under Arms xlv, Moran..played a good knife and fork. |
b. attrib. (with hyphens).
| 1812 Sporting Mag. XL. 25 These dextrous knife-and-fork men. 1838 Manch. Guardian 26 Sept. 3/2 This question of universal suffrage is a knife-and-fork question, a bread-and-cheese question, after all. 1841 Gresley C. Lever 183 With one class, it is what has been termed a knife-and-fork question; with the other, a moral or political affair. 1895 Péronne Veil of Liberty ix. 182 A good knife-and-fork breakfast. 1909 J. R. Ware Passing Eng. 163/2 Knife and fork tea (middle class, 1874). Vulgarisation of high tea. 1929 J. B. Priestley Good Companions iii. vi. 624 A sound specimen of their knife-and-fork tea. 1963 Bird & Hutton-Stott Veteran Motor Car 150 The first model of Lutzmann was a knife-and-fork copy of the Benz. |
2. A popular name of Herb Robert (Geranium Robertianum) and the common club-moss (Lycopodium clavatum).
| 1879 in Britten & Holland. |
Hence knife-and-forker, one who plays a good knife and fork, a hearty eater.
| a 1845 Hood Literary & Literal vi, Not a mere pic-nic..But tempting to the solid knife-and-forker. |