4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thanks, Cilian. I agree that "tongs" is sufficient when speaking but seeing as this is a catalogue and they are bound to have many different types of tongs, I think I do have to be more specific. I can't be specific in terms of purpose, as Wenke suggested, because these tongs are used for a number of different purposes and so I can only be specific with respect to the shape, as in the German word. In the meantime I have found that the term "spoon tongs" has been used before without the world coming to an end. I found this term in www.cookscorner.com/product_ list.asp?dept=196&last=59&page=2 - 44k www.andiskitchen.com/productPage.asp?id=218 - 32k. "