Dear Vi,

Why do you serve from the left and clear from the right?

Brian Gelston, South Lake Tahoe, CA

Dear Brian,

Aside from being the traditional practice that conforms with conventional styles in Europe and is the basis of European teaching, the historical reason we serve from the left and clear from the right can be explained by the following: In the old days of daggers and swords, weapons hung on the right side since most people are right handed. It was common practice to approach a person from the left because, if they were your enemy and you needed to stab them, you could more easily reach to the right side and grab your dagger. Friends and harmless persons, such as a waiter, always approached from the left. (This, incidently, also explains why the knife is placed on the right.) So why not clear from the left, too? Well, pagan ritual tells us that to keep in sync with the earth's ways, we should serve in a circular motion - clockwise. The sun, according to tradition, should never set on a meal. Thus the practice to serve from the left, clear from the right.