No that's perfectly fine! Probably recommended in fact!
Dining is generally a bit more complicated here in the UK. I'll type some of the basic rules so you know what I mean. They may sound fussy but believe me it really is good-- more efficient, more polite, and the chances of being grossed-out by fellow diners is much less.
Even kids over the age of about 6 know at least half of these rules!
Here we go. We use the European method of dining, so:
Fork stays in the left hand at all times, held upside down to an American (overhand and "tines down"). Index finger is extended along the top it, as if 'pointing' at the tines.
Knife stays in the right hand at all times (held overhand and "blade down"). Index finger is extended along the top of it, as if 'pointing' at the blade. Unless of course you're using a fishknife in the right hand and that's held underhand a bit like a pen might be.
One may combine meat and potatoes or veg on the fork using the knife to press it on (so long as the knife stays low to the plate and the fork tines remain in contact with it). Careful not to 'clack' the silverware together.
Pausing for a sip of wine or water means the knife is laid vertically along the right edge of the dish, blade pointing inward, to free up the right hand to take the glass. Soon as the glass is put down, the knife is taken up again in the right hand.
The correct method for eating the bread roll (which is on a side plate to the left of the diner and is never placed on the 'main' plate) is to tear pieces off of it with fingers. Butter taken on a butter knife from the communal butter dish is never applied directly to the bread - and they must never ever dip into the communal butter again and again as they apply butter to their half-eaten roll. Yuck. The diner is meant to take just one 'supply' of butter from the dish on the butter knife at the very start, press it onto their side plate, and pass the butter dish along to the next diner. The 'personal supply' of butter on the side dish can then be applied again and again to the bread roll without everyone double-dipping into the butter dish and leaving funky crumbs and remnants of their spit behind for everyone else.
The elbows never touch the table under any circumstance. The forearms may rest on the edge of the table in casual dining unless of course there is food on the fork. One should lean forward over the plate but never stoop down towards the plate like a hound.
The plate must be left in position and never 'spun around' like a lazy-susan serving accessory. Also, long pasta noodles are never to be chopped up -- that's considered cretinous -- so the 'spindle' method is used and a table spoon is often supplied in case the diner needs a surface other than the china to twirl the fork against. Soup is scooped into the spoon towards the diner, never away from the diner (scooping 'away' usually indicates someone who is meaning to be polite but has got the wrong idea).
Pausing to speak for more than a few seconds means the fork and knife should be laid onto the plate in 'resting position' (handles pointing towards the diner's hands) so that the waiter (or mum) knows that it's just a pause and not a finish.
One should never ask a question to a dining companion just as they've popped some food into their mouth. This requires them to hurry up, chew roughly and swallow quickly, probably choke, and maybe die, to answer a stupid question. Considered extremely rude. One ought to just comment lightly on topics and save questions for long pauses or between courses unless one wants a dead guy at the table.
When finished, the knife and fork are most often placed side by side in the two o'clock position, handles pointing away from the diner to indicate they are finished. In some regions, people lay them side by side at the top of the plate - I think that's old fashioned - at any rate, the handles are together and pointing away from the diner meaning 'finished'. I've seen some Americans place them in an 'X' across their plates, and they think that means 'finished', but then the waiter is confused because the handles are still pointing towards their hands, so he will have to interrupt and ask the diner if he is finished.
Dessert usually only requires a single fork or spoon (rarely a knife too), so that would be held as an American normally would - in the dominant hand, under-hand style.
If one rises from the table but is not yet finished eating, the napkin is laid discreetly across the vacated seat until the diner returns. If one rises and is finished eating, the napkin is laid discreetly folded to the right of the plate on the table.
Here's a difficult one! If a fishbone or piece of gristle that cannot be swallowed is encountered, this must never be spat into a napkin and folded up (just think of it tumbling out across the table or floor when the waiter removes the napkin!). Knife and fork are put down into 'resting' position, left hand is raised to upper lip to cover mouth while right hand retrieves offensive item from tip of tongue (out of view of companions). Item is placed discreetly on the edge of the dish. Same method is used if a serious case of spinach-tooth is detected which cannot wait for removal til the dining is over.
If served at a table, pizza, fries (chips), and hamburgers are all eaten with a fork and knife. Yes! This one never fails to separate the North Americans from the Europeans in mixed company.
That's the main jist of it -- now you can all come over and dine at the Ritz with confidence! Oh just remember to take the baseball caps off first! heh heh!
- - - - - - - -
"The death of creativity is a pram in the hallway"
- Cyril Connolly