How do you properly place your utensils at the end of a meal to indicate you are finished?

Placing utensils parallel on the plate with the handles facing to the right is a recognized dining etiquette standard that indicates to the server that you have finished your meal. This arrangement clearly communicates your status without causing any confusion. The positioning helps staff easily identify that the plate is ready to be cleared, and it conveys a sense of completion in a neat and orderly manner.

In contrast, crossing the utensils on the plate can imply that you are still eating or that you may need something else, which is different from indicating you are finished. Placing utensils vertically in a glass is more casual and may not effectively communicate to formal dining staff that you have completed your meal. Lastly, placing utensils on the table beside the plate lacks the clarity of placement on the plate itself, making it less suitable for signaling that you are done dining. Thus, the correct method of placing the utensils parallel on the plate with handles facing right is the appropriate way to signal that your meal has concluded.