[WillowTheWhisp]

Those plastic sporks are supposed to be for camping. They are an ideal all in one piece of cutlery to put in your backpack with the little camping stove and mess tins. (we've got orange) We have some of those triangular stainless steal splayds too. Had them for years. They make great cake forks and are very good for scooping up peas. I can never see the logic of trying to balance peas on the back of a fork. I used to hate eating peas as a child when my mother insisted they should be transported to my mouth on the back of the fork.

As for spooning soup from the back of the bowl I was always told that was so that any drip underneath the spoon had the opportunity to fall into the bowl as the spoon passed over it and not end up down your front.