h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

The poem 'The Owl and the Pussycat' by Edward Lear contains the line, 'They dined on mince and slices of quince which they ate with a runcible spoon'. A runcible spoon is a three-tined fork.

You learn something new every day!

Not only is it a 3 tined fork, it has a cutting edge on one side. There was a forum a few months back about the plastic versions of these; the name spork seems to have been coined for them.

Whatever material they are made of, I will always call them runcible spoons in honour of Mr Lear.

I thought a spork was a spo(on fo)rk, not a knife fork.

A runcible spoon has broad curbed tines, and looks like a spoon with slots cut in it.

Besides, although the edge of a spoon isn't as sharp as a knife blade, you can cut with it. Try eating something like peach halves with a spoon and you'll see what I mean. Unless, of course, your mouth is big enough to fit a peach half into without cutting it (the peach) into smaller pieces!