silver spoon
Wealth passed down or inherited.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.”
“You do not need a silver spoon to become a successful business owner.”
“She never had to work a day in her life because she was born with a silver spoon.”
“The politician tried to act like a normal person, but everyone knew he grew up with a silver spoon and never worried about bills.”
“Despite his lack of professional experience, his family's silver spoon ensured he secured the executive position without any real competition.”
The term originates in 18th-century European table-setting customs, a period during which diners were expected to provide their own utensils for a meal. Members of the land-owning classes distinguished themselves from the peasantry by carrying silver cutlery, a practice that established silver as the standard material for the elite and gave rise to the term silverware. The presence of such an object at a birth indicated an immediate entry into the property-holding class without the inconvenience of social mobility.
- 01
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth
Born rich, or into a wealthy family.
- 02
eat up with a spoon
To accept (something) very eagerly.
- 03
greasy spoon
An inexpensive diner or other informal restaurant, especially one specializing in frying or grilling.
- 04
sell the family silver
To sell one's property (not necessarily heirlooms) in an attempt to avoid or escape financial difficulties.
- 05
silver screen
Movies, or that which is related to movies or cinema.
- 06
silver sheet
By extension, movies, the film industry, or that which is related to movies or cinema (often preceded with "the")
- 07
silver tongue
The trait of being articulate and clever at speaking, often in a deceitful way.
- 08
speech is silver, silence is golden
Not saying anything is often better than speaking too much or saying something inappropriate.
Last updated August 10, 2026