During a day-tour in Hong Kong, I sat across a Swiss couple who grew up speaking German and learned English at a university. We were seated in the same table for lunch. The server passed by, offering chopsticks to the diners. "Chopsticks? Chopsticks?" she asked. With her thick accent, it sounded more like "tsa-stee, tsa-stee" and left the Swiss couple bewildered.
The Swiss couple held their chopsticks and asked if "chopsticks" is an English word. I said, "Yes, and it comes from two words: 'chop' and 'sticks'. Chopsticks. It just sounded different from the way the lady said it because...well maybe her mollars were missing, I don't know."
So, here's a brief orientation on how to use chopsticks as helpful tools for dimsum, noodles, sushi, etc. and not as weapons of mass destruction:
1. DO NOT PIERCE dimsum or dumplings or sushi. Always use the chopsticks to pick up the food.
2. DO NOT POINT to your colleague with chopsticks unless you intentionally want to blind another person out of sheer cruelty.
3. DO NOT WAVE chopsticks in the air or spin them like ballpens. They might just fly to the shark's fin soup in the next table, and you'll wind up paying for the check in the other table as well.
4. DO NOT USE CHOPSTICKS as a serving spoon. If you ordered food for sharing, ask the server for a serving spoon or extra chopsticks.
5. PLACE THE CHOPSTICKS on the chopsticks holder after the meal or during breaks.
When in doubt, simply ask for spoon and fork.
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