two boys
The term spork is the marriage of two words, spoon and fork. The fork is actually one of our oldest utensils still in use, and most people believe that the fork was made in the Middle Ages. The fork, which features a rounded spoon-shaped container with small teeth at the end for spearing food, was only patented in the 19th century, although the fork existed long before that time. Some sporks even have a sharp edge to their shell and may be called splayds.
Many people also use the term runcible spoon, first used in Edward Lear’s poem “The Owl and the Kitten,” to describe the fork. In fact, this is inaccurate. Lear’s drawing of the runcible spoon does not show a spoon with teeth, and he basically invented the word “runcible”. However, some well-known dictionaries now describe runcible spoon as an alternate word for spork.
The spork has several popular uses. Plastic forks are often given away as cutlery at fast food restaurants. Kentucky Fried Chicken is believed to be the first fast food outlet to do so, but many well-known fast food outlets now offer plastic forks. School cafeterias often offer the spork to children who ask for hot snacks, and they are also common in prisons, as they cannot be easily weaponized.
A fork can be a baby’s first utensil or the first type of fork. Because the fork tines are quite blunt, babies don’t hurt their mouths when they are still learning to coordinate feeding. This can make eating a little easier and definitely more enjoyable.
Another popular use of spork is as backpack cutlery. They can be made of light metals such as titanium. When carrying weight is a concern on long backpacking trips, carrying a fork makes more sense than carrying a fork and spoon. Some backpackers prefer splayd for this purpose, as they can splayd dig, throw, or mow.
You may also hear references to someone being “spotted” on the Internet. This refers to pricking someone in a non-harmful way or poking them with a fork. This metaphorical use often occurs in chat rooms and is a statement meant to entertain and not threaten other chat guests.