• Dining etiquette for utensils. Portuguese do not switch knives and forks. The knife remains in the right hand, and the fork remains in the left. When the meal is finished, the knife and fork are laid parallel to each other across the right side of the plate. If you put both utensils down on the plate for any real length of time it is a sign to the waitstaff that you are finished, and your plate may be taken away from you