I haven’t seen “tangs-up” versus “tangs-down”, but I like that idea.
I hate premature clearing of plates. It’s rude, especially when the diners are a couple, and one is not yet finished but the other is. Do they really think that I want my GF to feel rushed to “clean her plate” as I sit there with a big empty table half. Absurd. Especially because I usually help her finish the good stuff.
Am I the only one who was taught that placing the fork and knife on separate/different sides of the plate indicates “touch my plate and you’re dead”, but placing the fork and knife together on a single side of the plate indicates that you are ready for the plate to be cleared?