A spork is a hybrid form of cutlery taking the form of a spoon-like shallow scoop with two to four fork tines. Spork-like utensils, such as the terrapin fork or ice cream fork, have been manufactured since the late 19th century;patents for spork-like designs date back to at least 1874, and the word "spork" was registered as a trademark in the US and the UK decades later. They are used by fast food restaurants, schools, prisons, the military, backpackers and in airline meals.
The word spork combines spoon and fork. Similarly, the word foon is a blend of fork and spoon. The word "spork" appeared in the 1909 supplement to the Century Dictionary, where it was described as a trade name and "a 'portmanteau-word' applied to a long, slender spoon having, at the end of the bowl, projections resembling the tines of a fork".
In the US, patents for sporks and proto-sporks have been issued. A combined spoon, fork, and knife closely resembling the modern spork was invented by Samuel W. Francis and issued US Patent 147,119 in February 1874. Other early patents predating the modern spork include US Patent 904,553, for a "cutting spoon", granted on November 24, 1908 to Harry L. McCoy and US Patent 1,044,869, for a spoon with a tined edge, granted to Frank Emmenegger in November 1912. Many of these inventions predated the use of the term "spork". Given this significant prior art, the basic concept of combining aspects of a spoon and fork is well established; more modern patents have limited themselves to the specific implementation and appearance of the spork. These design patents do not prevent anyone from designing and manufacturing a different version of a spork. Examples of modern US design patents for sporks include patent number D247,153 issued in February 1978 and patent D388,664 issued in January 1998.
Spork is a 2011 musical comedy film written and directed by J.B. Ghuman Jr. and starring Savannah Stehlin, Sydney Park, Rachel G. Fox, Michael William Arnold, Oana Gregory, Beth Grant, Elaine Hendrix, Yeardley Smith, Rodney Eastman, Keith David and Richard Riehle. The screenwriter was J.B. Ghuman Jr and the production was by Christopher Racster, Chad Allen, Honey Labrador and Geric Frost.
A 14-year-old girl nicknamed "Spork" is unpopular, mistreated by her classmates, and very soft-spoken. Her next-door neighbor and best friend, known as "Tootsie Roll", is planning on entering the school Dance-Off to win $236 which she would use to visit her father in prison. During a hair-product-related dancing accident, Tootsie Roll injures her ankle and can no longer compete in the competition. Spork rises to the occasion and surprises the whole school by signing up for the Dance-Off.
Spork and Tootsie Roll listen to hip-hop songs from the early 1990s and wear 1990s fashion, yet the antagonist, Betsy Byotch, and her friends wear 1980s garb and listening to 80s music (though they are also fans of Britney Spears). The character of Charlie is obsessed with Justin Timberlake, whose career began in the mid–1990's. There is also a mention by "Besty Beyotch" that there are pictures from a few years ago of "Loosie Goosie" circa 1998.
How doth we know what to eat
Shall we feast with thy hands and feet
And the meek sayeth unto thee
Thout spork conceveith, baby
Mighty spork, unmighty spork
Thine break with spork divorce
Hath you no shame newborn spork
Plummet whence you came begotten fork
And they gathered around the table
Unto the silverware they spoketh
"Be gone with ye spoon and fork"