A spoon is a common eating utensil, or item of cutlery, somewhat like a small spade, with a bowl-shaped end on a handle, that occurs in a number of sizes and forms.

Its main purposes are for conveying food to the mouth and for stirring, though it has a number of other uses.

Etymology

The English word spoon derives from Old English spōn, meaning "chip or splinter of wood or horn carved from a larger piece, shaving," from a Proto-Germanic root spūnuz (cf. Old Norse spann, sponn "chip, splinter," Swedish spån "a wooden spoon," Old Frisian spon, Medieval Dutch spaen, Dutch spaan, Old High German spān, German Span "chip, splinter"), in turn deriving from the Proto-Indo-European root spe-, denoting 'a long piece of wood', probably in the sense of a wedge (cf. Greek sphen "wedge").

The meaning "eating utensil" is recorded c.1300 in English, probably from Old Norse sponn, which meant "spoon" as well as "chip, tile" (development of the "eating utensil" sense is specific to Medieval England and Scandinavia, though Medieval Low German spon also meant "wooden spanker").

The History Of Spoons

Ancient silver spoon with handle shaped in form of a duck's neck. Achaemenid period. Excavated at Pasargad and kept at the National Museum of Iran (If it is still there!)

Spoons have been used by many cultures since the dawn of time.

From the derivation of the word the earliest northern European spoon would seem to have been a chip or splinter of wood; Greek references point to the early and natural use of shells, such as those that are still used by primitive peoples.

Preserved examples of various forms of spoons used by the ancient Egyptians include those composed of ivory, flint, slate and wood; many of them carved with the religious symbols.

The spoons of the Greeks and Romans were chiefly made of bronze and silver and the handle usually takes the form of a spike or pointed sperm.

There are many examples in the British Museum from which the forms of the various types can be ascertained, the chief points of difference being found in the junction of the bowl with the handle.

Medieval spoons for domestic use were commonly made of horn or wood, but brass, pewter, and latten (copper alloy) spoons appear to have been common in about the 15th century.

The full descriptions and entries relating to silver spoons in the inventories of the royal and other households point to their special value and rarity.

The earliest English reference appears to be in a will of 1259.

In the wardrobe accounts of Edward I for the year 1300 some gold and silver spoons marked with the fleur-de-lis, the Paris mark, are mentioned.

One of the most interesting medieval spoons is the coronation spoon used in the anointing of the English sovereign.

The sets of Apostle Spoons, popular as christening presents in Tudor times, the handles of which terminate in heads or busts of the apostles, are a special form to which antiquarian interest attaches. The earlier English spoon-handles terminate in an acorn, plain knob or a diamond; at the end of the 16th century, the baluster and seal ending becomes common, the bowl being fig-shaped.

At the Restoration, the handle becomes broad and flat, the bowl is broad and oval and the termination is cut into the shape known as the pied de biche, or hinds foot.

In the first quarter of the 18th century, the bowl becomes narrow and elliptical, with a tongue or rat's tail down the back, and the handle is turned up at the end.

The modern form, with the tip of the bowl narrower than the base and the rounded end of the handle turned down, came into use about 1760.

Uses

Spoons are used primarily for eating liquid or semi-liquid foods, such as soup, stew, or ice cream, and very small or powdery solid items which cannot be easily lifted with a fork, such as rice, sugar, cereals and green peas. Spoons are also widely used in cooking and serving.

The teaspoon and tablespoon are used as standard units of measure for volume in cooking. The teaspoon is often used in a similar way to describe the dosage for over the counter medicines.

Spoon Types

Eating utensils
 
Tablespoon
Teaspoon
Iced tea spoon
Dessert spoon
Demitasse spoon
Bouillon spoon
Grapefruit spoon
Egg spoon
Caviar spoon — usually made of mother of pearl, gold, animal horn or wood. Silver cannot be used because it affects the taste.
Absinthe spoon
Marrow spoon
Plastic spoon
Sipping spoon
Spork, Splade, Knork — differing combinations of spoon, fork and knife

Cooking and serving utensils

Caddy spoon
Spoodle
Ladle — spoon with a long handle attached at a steep angle to scoop liquids
Mustard spoon
Olive spoon
Runcible spoon — originally a fictitious utensil; now often synonymous with spork or splade
Salt spoon
Serving spoon
Slotted spoon
Wooden spoon

Other Spoons

Love spoon — a carved wooden spoon given as a token of betrothal

A love spoon is an ornately carved spoon traditionally made from a single piece of wood given as a love token to your sweetheart to show affection. The earliest surviving example dates from around 1667, although the tradition probably dates back long before that.

The love spoon originated from the "cawl" soup spoon. Over generations, decorative carvings were added to the spoon and it lost its original practical use and became a treasured decorative item to be hung proudly on a wall. Certain symbols came to have specific meanings: a horseshoe for luck, a cross for faith, or hearts for love.

Sailors would often carve love spoons during their long journeys, which is why anchors would often be incorporated into the carvings. Although the Welsh lovespoon is the most famous there are also traditions of lovespoons in Scandanavia and some parts of Eastern Europe which have their own unique styles and techniques

Silver spoon — a small spoon given to a newborn child to ensure good fortune; used as a metaphor for someone born to riches 

Cocaine spoon — a very small spoon used to sniff cocaine

Ear spoon — a small spoon used to remove earwax

Souvenir spoon — may be any of the above types of spoon, but an important additional function is to signify or hold a memory of a place or event, or to display as a 'trophy' of having been there, thus also a classical memento from pilgrimage sites; they are often in more fancy materials and highly ornamentive, depicting sights, coat of arms, associated characters, etcetera.

Miscellaneous

In the culinary world, a "spoon" is a restaurant owned and opened by a notable chef who sets the restaurant's overall tone and menu, but who largely leaves the day-to-day management to others while the chef operates one or more principal (haute cuisine) restaurants. Spoons are less expensive, but offer many recipes from the high end restaurant.
 
A greasy spoon is a colloquial term for an inexpensive diner or other similar restaurant.
 
A runcible spoon is a nonsense object invented by Edward Lear.
 
Wooden spoon is a phrase used to describe the "achievement" of a team or individual in finishing last in a contest, a wooden spoon being a common and almost valueless object, in stark contrast to the contest winners who will often receive a trophy made of silver or similar precious metal.

The term originates from Cambridge University, wherein professors used to dangle a wooden spoon humiliatingly before students who had failed their tripos.
 
"Spoon" is an insulting epithet used to describe a person who lacks intelligence or displays stupidity.

It may be linked to the common insulting phrase "Not the sharpest knife in the drawer," which has an identical meaning.
 
The British satirical magazine Private Eye features a spoof interview column called "Me and My Spoon" in which well-known public figures are quizzed on various aspects of their relationships with, thoughts regarding, experiences involving, and memories of spoons.
 
Spoon! Is the battle cry of the cartoon hero parody The Tick.

Using Spoons As Musical Instruments

Spoons (not a single one) can be played as a makeshift percussion instrument, or more specifically, an idiophone related to the castanets. A pair of spoons is held with concave sides facing out and with a finger between their handles to space them apart. When the pair is struck, the spoons sharply hit each other and then spring back to their original position. The spoons are typically struck against the knee and the palm of the hand. The fingers and other body parts may also be used as striking surfaces to produce different sounds and for visual effect.

Spoons as an instrument are associated in the United States with American folk music, minstrelsy, and jug and spasm bands. These musical genres make use of other everyday objects as instruments, such as the washboard and the jug. In addition to common tableware, musical instrument suppliers make spoons that are joined at the handle. Bobby Hebb is a well-known spoons player.

The b-side of Clive Dunn's UK number one hit single, "Grandad", was called "I Play the Spoons".

The U.S. rock band Soundgarden had a hit single in 1993 called "Spoonman", which featured spoons being played as percussion instruments.

On Doctor Who, the Seventh Doctor, (Sylvester McCoy), was known for bursts of spoon-playing.

During the 2002 NEARfest the band Caravan played the electric spoons.

Eric Piatkowski is the master of playing the spoons.

The World Record for the most people simultaneously playing spoons is currently held by Street Theatre group Stripey-Jumper with 345 musicians.