Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1941-09-27
Drag System
Of Getting
Soup Best
Runyoa Defends Method
Against BeiiffIers
By DAMON RtNYoN

Nv UAMON NJ 1ON
NOR years we have been gath
Il ering up our soup IN the
soup spoon for transport 10 the
gullet by dropping the spoon
into the soup on the side of the
plate fartheSt from AS and then
dragging the spoon toward us
with its catch. There are a lot
OF spoons in this sentence ne
ceSsitated by our desire 10 make
the procedure perfectly clear tc
the readerl. The principal is
about the same AS hauling in a
seine.
But here lately we have been
appraised that our method Is
wholly incorrect and not a little
uncouth. We are told that we.
should collect the soup by IN
Serting the spoon IN the sub
ytdr7cr ar tt1r- Sirtr- of the plate
nearest 10 us and pushing the
spoon from us. or in the opposite
direction from that in which we
are accustomed to making our
haul
We have been making obSer-
VationS since receiving this in
formation and we notice that
the push system seems 10 be
favored over the drag among
the elite i'm the smart dining
places of New York such as the
Colony.
However. we are not con-
WINGED that there is any good.
reason why the push should be
preferred 10 the drag in the
manipulation of the soup spoon
and suspc Il that ii is just silly
fad
We can prove that the push
is definitely more upwieldy than
The drag. When you use the
drag you finish closer 10 the
mouth with your spoonful of
soup than you do with the push.
as you can readily see by trying
the two methods.
THERE is difference OF
Il nearly Is inches between the
point where you lift the spoon
from the plate under the push
and the mouth. unless you are
bend-over soupman. or woman.
With the drag, you come up
within about three inches of the
ultimate destination of the soup
which minimizes the danger to
necktieS and weskitS.
1t is our considered opinion
that there is absolutely no sound
authority for the push method
and that those who use it are
just exhibitionistS who want to
show off their knack of balance.
4 MOTHER thing. we have
"A been criticised for partaking
OF soup out of the end of the
spoon. instead of the side. our
critics alleging that the latter
method is proper, and that the
end practice is the stamp Of
the boor.
We are referring 10 the elon-
gated soup spoons with the mar
row end, not the round soup
spoons, Which do not hold
enough soup TO even consider.
These round spoons generally
come when soup is served in
cups. but under such cicum-
stances we never bother with
spoons at all. We just pick up
the cup and inhale the contents,
wondering what churl originated
this niggardly fashion of serving
soup
Now then, we contend that
the narrow ends were put on
soup spoons 10 fit the mouth
TO make a Semi-funnel through
which the soup would trickle
into the old trap without stray
ing off on either side. If the
inventor of the spoon had in
tended that the contents be
taken from the side. he would
have placed a vent there
AS we understand it, the
forerunnerS of the present day
spoon were shells. But we can
not find that the users favored
the side of shell TO the end in
ingeSting soup therefrom and we
are inclined to think that it all
depended on the shape of the
she'll. They had no spoon code
in those days.
WE CAN see where there
W might be some merit in the
shells today as some Of the soup
YOU encounter rs so lacking in
nourishmcnt that the shells
might be a welcome addition TO
the diet
But until we discover more
logic for the use of the side of
the spoon as against the end, we
are going TO stick TO the latter
Yes, even at the cost of social
diSfavor. And nothing is ever
going 10 wean us from the drag
system because, when we set
our spoon 10 pursuing soup, we
want 10 get soup, not chase IT
away.
Copyright 1871, KING Features synd, Inc
Distributed by International News serlc
A