> Small question: When you have a spoonful
of soup, is the soup *on* the spoon, or is it
*in* the spoon? Thanks.
>
> Ma"settling an argument"ry

In order to conclusively answer this question,
one must consider the natures of both the
soup and the spoon.

Soup is a liquid. As such, it is fluid, and must
be contained by a solid receptacle in order to
maintain any shape or cohesiveness. Just like
any liquid, soup outside its receptacle tends to
spread out over the available surface,
following the pull of gravity.

A spoon is a utensil designed as an aide in
consuming liquid foods. One of its primary
functions is the transporting of liquid food from
its primary receptacle to one's mouth. In doing
so, the spoon becomes a secondary,
temporary receptacle for the liquid food; in this
case, soup.

Seen in this light, the only logical
determination is that the soup is *in* the
spoon. The spoon is concave, and the soup is
contained within its concave area during its
transportation from the primary receptacle (i.e.
"bowl" or "mug") to its end destination (your
"mouth.") Due to it's liquid nature, it would
clearly be impossible to put soup "on" a
spoon. The very idea is ludicrous in the
extreme.