Wonk (“fork” with one prong/tine)
“Fork” does not have the number “four” in it, but some people believe that a “fork” with three prongs/tines should be called a “threek.” It then follows that a “fork” with two prongs/tines is a “twok,” a “fork” with just one prong/tine is a “onek” or “wonk” (or a knife/skewer/stick), and a “fork” with no prong/tine is a “zerok” (or a spoon). A somewhat rare “fivek” is a “fork” with five prongs/tines.
“There are many words with numbers in them—wonderful, create, tenderloin. Add one to each and what have you? Twoderful, crenine, elevenderloin! ‘I ate a tenderloin with my fork’ becomes ‘I nine an elevenderloin with my fivek!’” was said by Danish-American comedian, conductor, and pianist Victor Borge (1909-2000) and printed in The Daily Herald (Circleville, OH) on April 27, 1944. “Fork vs. Threek vs. Fivek: Discuss” was posted on Twitter by Phyxis on May 22, 2011. “A fork with 5 prongs is called a… fivek” was posted on Twitter by Andrew Page on March 27, 2013.
“If this one’s a fork, is this one a ‘THREEK’?” was in “The Family Circus” comic strip by Bil Keane, printed in the Gazette-Times (Corvallis, OR) on July 11, 1979. “threek—noun, a four-pronged fork with one prong missing. From three plus old English forca (a fork)” (from the book Brave New Words by Bill Sherk) was printed in The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC) on December 3, 1979. “What’s a fork with three prongs called? (...) A threek, of course” was printed in Boys’ Life in November 1985, “The university provides three-pronged forks, or ‘threeks’” was printed in the Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI) on November 13, 1986. “utensil with four tines is called a ‘fork’. With three tines it should be a ‘threek’. Two tines, a ‘twook’. With one tine, you’d think ‘wunk’ would do quite nicely, yet we persist in calling it a ‘knife’” was posted on the newsgroup alt.folklore.urban on February 17, 1994. “threek a three-tined eating utensil, similar to a fork” was entered in the Urban Dictionary on December 31, 2004.
”twok A two-pronged meat serving fork” was entered in the Urban Dictionary on May 2, 2003. “The fork had only 3 fails. Not sure what the twok or threek was but I’m certain a onek is a single chopstick” was posted on Twitter by Timothy Hooten on April 19, 2012. “Maintenance safety platform with fork pockets, not twok pockets, not threek pockets, but fork pockets” was posted on Twitter by Viperbid Michigan on May 18, 2012. “YOU KNOW WHY A FORK IS CALLED A FORK? because it has FOUR prongs! they don’t call it a threek, or a twok” was posted on Twitter by Sir Tickledick IV II on October 2, 2012.
“that’s a threek. It only has three oneks on it. A fork has four. Onek, twok, threek, fork” was posted on Twitter by Arts Rant on May 7, 2014. “If a spoon is a zerok, is a fork a spoonot?” was posted on Twitter by TEN on July 21, 2018. “Fork Threek Onek Zerok” was posted on Twitter by Eugene Karnak on July 25, 2018. “The order of forks are: ONEk, TWOk, THREEk, and FORK” was posted on Reddit—Showerthoughts on September 5, 2018. “Spork=spoon/fork. Threek=3 pronged fork. Twook=2 pronged Threek. Wonk=knife” was posted on Twitter by Dougal on October 8, 2018. “Fork, threek, onek, zerok” was posted on Twitter by Tim Kronsell on November 15, 2018. “Fork Threek Twok Onek Zerok” was posted on Reddit—Memes on February 19, 2020. “‘I found a threek! ‘Cause a fork has four spikes. And one with two is a took. And one is a wonk.’ #shitmykidsays” was posted on Twitter by Grim 💀 on May 2, 2020. “Fork threek twok wonk” was posted on Twitter by mathilde on July 4, 2020. “Does a fork having four prongs prove the existence of a threek, a twok and a wonk?” was posted on Twitter by Corey Haynes on July 21, 2022.
Wikipedia: Fork
In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork ( from Latin: furca ‘pitchfork’ ) is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tines with which one can spear foods either to hold them to cut with a knife or to lift them to the mouth.
Newspapers.com
27 April 1944, The Daily Herald (Circleville, OH), “Inside Stuff,” pg. 9, col. 8:
How does Victor Borge do it, people ask. (...) “There are many words with numbers in them—wonderful, create, tenderloin. Add one to each and what have you? Twoderful, crenine, elevenderloin! ‘I ate a tenderloin with my fork’ becomes ‘I nine an elevenderloin with my fivek!’”
Newspapers.com
11 July 1979, Gazette-Times (Corvallis, OR), “The Family Circus” comic strip by Bil Keane, pg. 27, col. 5:
(A little boy holds up two fork-like utensils, one with four tines and one with three tines.—ed.)
“If this one’s a fork, is this one a ‘THREEK’?”
Newspapers.com
3 December 1979, The News and Observer (Raleigh, NC), “Author says adults say the darnedest things” by Victor Wilson (Newhouse News Service), pg. 25, col. 3:
threek—noun, a four-pronged fork with one prong missing. From three plus old English forca (a fork).
(From the book Brave New Words by Bill Sherk.—ed.)
Newspapers.com
1 April 1981, San Francisco (CA) Examiner, “Funny, maybe useful new words” by Victor Wilson (Newhouse News Service), pg. E12, col. 2:
It ate with a “threek” (a fork with three prongs) and a “spork” (a plastic spoon with fork-prongs at its tip).
(From the book Brave New Words by Bill Sherk.—ed.)
Google Books
November 1985, Boys’ Life, “Think & Grin,” pg. 73, col. 1:
Sally: What’s a fork with three prongs called?
Sammy: I give up. What?
Sally: A threek, of course.—Deborah Morgan, San Martin, Calif.
Newspapers.com
13 November 1986, Wisconsin State Journal (Madison, WI), “Eeek! Threek! Forks disappearing at UW” by Amanda Todd, sec. 1, pg. 1, cols. 1-2:
The university provides three-pronged forks, or “threeks” as Steve Marmel, the founder of the campus political party, calls them, in cafeterias.
Newspapers.com
18 January 1992, Lincoln (NE) Journal-Star, “What folks ought to know” by Nanci Sloan, pg. 6, col. 6:
Forks, you see, are so called because they posses four tines. The eating instrument which possesses only three tines is a threek. (Rhymes with freak, which it is.)
Google Groups: alt.folklore.urban
Forks in which hand?
131N50000-MaddenTC(DR2071)40
Feb 17, 1994, 6:21:41 PM
(...)
ObSomething: A utensil with four tines is called a “fork”. With three tines it should be a “threek”. Two tines, a “twook”. With one tine, you’d think “wunk” would do quite nicely, yet we persist in calling it a “knife”.
Google Groups: alt.tasteless
Tasteless music - a n
Tim Scott
Apr 8, 1994, 5:00:58 PM
(...)
Well, young`un. You know what a “fork” is? Well a “threek” is like a fork but with only three tines.
Google Groups: alt.fan.cecil-adams
What is the difference between forks?
Rick Goldstein
Apr 23, 1997, 3:00:00 AM
(...)
In my house growing up, a fork had four tines, period.
A utensil with three tines was a threek.
With two, a tuke.
Knives were occasionally referred to as wunks.
Google Groups: rec.arts.sf.fandom
Brit-Am Spelling Crankiness
Brenda Daverin
Sep 11, 2000, 5:14:03 PM
In article <39BBA8E6…@home.com>, Kip Williams
> Heather Anne Nicoll wrote:
> >
> > Marci Malinowycz
> > > “Kip Williams”
wrote in message
> > > news:39BA3DA1…@home.com…
> > > > . . .‘you know what they call a quartet of Tines? a fork!’
> > > The kids here refer to a three-tined fork as a ‘threek’.
> >
> > Er. So do I.
> >
> > (First coined when the boys (the cats) chewed one of the tines off a
> > plastic fork while commiting various forms of property damage.)
>
> I used the same term, but it was probably after seeing Victor Borge
> do a sketch that included the word “fivek,” which counts as
> prompting.
My husband’s family uses the term “fivek” to refer to forks at times.
The explanation is “inflation.”
Urban Dictionary
twok
A two-pronged meat serving fork
He used a twok and a knife to carve the turkey
by Motang May 2, 2003
Google Groups: alt.humor.puns
Fork Jokes
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) Ž
Oct 25, 2003, 11:04:15 AM
(...)
A prong (tine?) broke off of my plastic fork; now it’s a threek.
Urban Dictionary
threek
a three-tined eating utensil, similar to a fork.
Look Mommy, this lady uses threeks instead of forks.
by sportster_16301 December 31, 2004
Newspapers.com
27 July 2007, Green Bay (WI) Press-Gazette, “The Word Detective” by Evan Morris, pg. E-6, col. 1:
I noticed the fork had only three prongs. I made a mention of it to the waiter and they proceeded to tell me that I was eating with a “threek,” and that a fork had four prongs, a “took” had two prongs, and no civilized person would ever eat using a one-pronged fork, called “a stick.”
Twitter
Phyxis
@Phyxis
Fork vs. Threek vs. Fivek: Discuss.
10:07 PM · May 22, 2011·Echofon Android
Urban Dictionary
threek
a fork having three tines instead of the more typical four (which is a “fourk”)
the dining hall has threeks instead of forks, now.
by ewige December 30, 2011
Twitter
Samantha Tan
@samantha_tan26
Have you ever seen a fork with that many prongs? It’s called a fork not a fivek! @NBrubies
12:03 AM · Jan 1, 2012·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Timothy Hooten
@TimHooten
Heinz 57 had 56 fails. The fork had only 3 fails. Not sure what the twok or threek was but I’m certain a onek is a single chopstick.
6:03 PM · Apr 19, 2012·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Viperbid Michigan
@ViperbidMI
Maintenance safety platform with fork pockets, not twok pockets, not threek pockets, but fork pockets (get it?) http://auction.viperbid.com/details.cfm?ID=837054
9:02 AM · May 18, 2012·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Sir Tickledick IV II
@ShitFloofySays
“YOU KNOW WHY A FORK IS CALLED A FORK? because it has FOUR prongs! they don’t call it a threek, or a twok.”
9:09 PM · Oct 2, 2012·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Andrew Page
@AndrewPage6
A fork with 5 prongs is called a… fivek
11:08 PM · Mar 27, 2013·Twitter for Android
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/Kinggert November 3, 2013
“I was at Olive Garden and it was weird. They were totally out of forks. All they had were Threeks”
imgur.com/Az0TUv…
Twitter
Arts Rant
@ArtsRant
Replying to @kmccoy
@kmccoy that’s a threek. It only has three oneks on it. A fork has four. Onek, twok, threek, fork.
5:29 PM · May 7, 2014·Twitter for iPad
Reddit—Showerthoughts
Posted by u/NotQuiteVoltaire July 7, 2014
Should a fork with three tines be called a threek?
...Or is that a trident. Does that mean a fork should be called a quadent?
Reddit—Showerthoughts
Posted by u/DrLetric November 25, 2016
If a fork had three prongs would it be a threek?
Twitter
Sean Carmichael
@seancarmichael
Five prongs? Really? It’s a fork, not a fivek.
(An illustration is shown.—ed.)
12:31 PM · Sep 22, 2017·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
TEN
@TenLetters100
Replying to @it_meirl_bot
If a spoon is a zerok, is a fork a spoonot?
10:18 PM · Jul 21, 2018·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
Eugene Karnak 🇺🇦
@eugenekarnak
Fork
Threek
Onek
Zerok
(An illustration is shown.—ed.)
4:13 AM · Jul 25, 2018·Twitter Web Client
Reddit—Showerthoughts
Posted by u/Skeeterkus September 5, 2018
The order of forks are: ONEk, TWOk, THREEk, and FORK.
Twitter
Dougal
@Beastfish_
@richardosman Spork=spoon/fork. Threek=3 pronged fork. Twook=2 pronged Threek. Wonk=knife
12:34 PM · Oct 8, 2018·Twitter Web Client
Twitter
Tim Kronsell
@sleyheron
Fork, threek, onek, zerok
8:23 AM · Nov 15, 2018·Twitter for Android
Twitter
Elliot B
@taniith
Replying to @DougKlaaJohnson
4-tines -> fork
3-tines -> threek
2-tines -> twok
11:31 PM · Apr 8, 2019·Twitter Web Client
Reddit—Showerthoughts
Posted by u/Blankshadow0926 May 1, 2019
A fork with 3 prongs is a threek.
Reddit—Showerthoughts
Posted by u/simbar1337 January 4, 2020
Forks have four prongs, thus tridents are threeks
Reddit—Memes
Posted by u/Jboris_ February 19, 2020
Fork Threek Twok Onek Zerok
YouTube
fork, threek, twok, onek
Apr 3, 2020
Poopy Shit
YouTube
Fork Threek Twok Onek Zerok
Apr 8, 2020
Samantha Studios
Twitter
Grim 💀
@Grimmie
“I found a threek! ‘Cause a fork has four spikes. And one with two is a took. And one is a wonk.” #shitmykidsays
8:22 AM · May 2, 2020·Twitter for Android
YouTube
Fork threek twok onek
May 18, 2020
BlueTurtle09
Twitter
mathilde
@feyeriyaa
Replying to @tpwkIouiss
Fork threek twok wonk
7:10 PM · Jul 4, 2020·Twitter for iPhone
Twitter
It me, Haru!
@Haruchan_desu4
Do you remember the fork threek twok wonk video because I’m laughing again
5:08 AM · Jul 11, 2020·Twitter for Android
Reddit—Fork
Posted by u/fink-nugget December 13, 2020
Oonek twook threek fork
Urban Dictionary
threek
a fork but with three prongs instead of four
(...)
by cherrypiecherrypiecherrypie May 7, 2021
Twitter
Jenni “Bad Shrimp” Polodna
@horsewizrd
“still eating with a single fork? you are like little baby person, check out my onek twok threek fork fivek sixk sevenk eightk”
Quote Tweet
Erik Carlson
@rkcrlsn
· Jul 31, 2021
This might be my biggest accomplishment over the last year and a half.
Show this thread
9:54 PM · Jul 31, 2021·Twitter Web App
Twitter
never too old to be called baby.
@cruel_im_ii
If you didn’t know.
1. Fork
2. Threek
3. Twok
4. Onek
5. Zerok
Plug🔌
5:34 AM · Aug 22, 2021·Twitter for Android
Twitter
𝕊𝕦𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕣 𝕎𝕚𝕝𝕝𝕠𝕨
@riverthistle
Prongs, according to my youngest son.
4 prongs = fork
3 prongs= threek
2 prongs =twoke
A skewer= wonk
2:47 PM · Feb 19, 2022·Twitter for iPhone
Urban Dictionary
Twok
Two-tined fork
“We are having shrimp for dinner, get twoks and knives ready for tonight.”
by Light Grella February 27, 2022
Twitter
Corey Haynes
@ImCoreyHaynes
Does a fork having four prongs prove the existence of a threek, a twok and a wonk?
Yes, Of course
0%
No, Fuck off
0%
0 votes
·
Final results
4:27 PM · Jul 21, 2022·Twitter Web App
Twitter
Fan Them of the Opera
@geshtin_karanu
Since we’re living in a time of inflation, we should, as Victor Borge pointed out, inflate the hidden numbers in our speech. E.g. “I ate a tenderloin with a fork” -> “I nined an elevenderloin with my fivek.”
7:37 AM · Aug 10, 2022·Twitter Web App
Reddit—Dadjokes
Posted by u/TheRiddler1976 August 25, 2022
Why does a fork have four prongs?
My 14 year old asked me this as we were eating.
My response?
Because if it had less it would be called a threek.
Not going to lie, the groan I got made me very happy