Which is which? Is flatware also silverware? Is silverware flatware? What’s the difference? Here’s a quote from the Big Bang Theory that helps set the stage:

Sheldon Cooper : Jacuzzi is a commercial brand, hot tub is the generic term, i.e., all Jacuzzis are hot tubs, but not all hot tubs are Jacuzzis.

Zack : Is that like all thumbs are fingers, but not all fingers are thumbs?

The difference between flatware and silverware is that flatware are eating utensils. Cutlery, such as forks, knives and spoons while silverware is anything made from silver.

In the 1800s the word flatware was used to refer to anything shallow and flat used at the dining table to eat.

Cutlery is a separate thing altogether. Cutlery refers to knives and cutting implements and originates from the old French word “coutelier” (modern French: couteau) which means knife. So technically flatware and silverware could include cutlery, but cutlery would only refer to knives or cutting implements. But nobody really thinks that anymore.

So to sum up: All silverware is flatware or cutlery. But not all flatware or cutlery is silverware.

Got it?

Knife, fork and spoon. That’s the three basic categories of cutlery. But you can crossbreed and mix and match, as seen here:

Today we are going to talk about the “Knork” which is the love child of the Fork and Knife. In short, you get a fork that you can use to cut your food before stabbing it and getting it into your gob. Now look at the photo of that old time knork up top. That’s a scary looking rusty blade attached that’s just looking to slice open the corner of your mouth isn’t it? I’m not going there.

But if you only had one arm like Horatio Nelson then this might be your only option. Horatio Nelson was a British naval admiral who went to war with Napoleon in 1798. And it cost him his ark which was amputated aboard a ship. So for his arm and efforts the British Army gave him a golden Knork which was thereon referred to as “Nelson’s Fork”.

The modern day Knork is a lot more practical. Back in 2015 Oprah Winfrey even a knork set on her list of favorites.

And that was a historical cutlery lesson for you.