born with a silver spoon in one's mouth

English

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium. Particularly: “This needs sourcing.”)

• According to some, the original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. The converse was born with a wooden ladle.
• However, the phrase is first recorded as a Scottish proverb in the form "Every Man is no born with a Silver Spoon in his Mouth" (1721).

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Adjective

born with a silver spoon in one's mouth (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) born rich, or into a wealthy family

   He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and probably never had to work a day in his life.

Translations

born rich or in a wealthy family

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 含著金勺子出生的, 含着金勺子出生的 (hán zhe jīn sháozi chūshēng de, literally “born with a gold spoon in one's mouth”)

• Danish: født med sølvske i munden
• Dutch: met een gouden lepel in de mond geboren
• Finnish: syntynyt kultalusikka suussa
• French: né avec une cuillère d’argent dans la bouche (fr)
• German: mit einem goldenen Löffel im Mund geboren
• Greek: γεννημένος στα πλούτη (genniménos sta ploúti), γεννήθηκα στα πούπουλα (genníthika sta poúpoula)
• Irish: rugadh é le spúnóg airgid ina bhéal
• Italian: nascere con la camicia
• Japanese: 裕福な家庭に生まれる (ゆうふくなかていにうまれる, yūfuku na katei ni umareru)
• Korean: 금수저를 물고 태어나다 (geumsujeoreul mulgo taeeonada, literally “born biting a gold spoon”)
• Latvian: piedzimis zem laimīgas zvaigznes m
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: å være født med sølvskje i munnen

• Polish: być w czepku urodzonym (born wearing a bonnet)
• Portuguese: nascer em berço de ouro
• Romanian: născut cu o lingură de argint în gură (born with a silver spoon in the mouth)
• Russian: роди́ться в соро́чке (ru) (rodítʹsja v soróčke) (be born with a shirt on)
• Spanish: nacer en cuna de oro, criarse en buena cuna
• Swedish: född med silversked i mun (sv)
• Telugu: ఆగర్భశ్రీమంతుడు (āgarbhaśrīmantuḍu)
• Thai: คาบช้อนเงินช้อนทองมาเกิด (th), คาบช้อนทองมาเกิด (th)
• Vietnamese: sinh ra ở vạch đích (be born at the finish line)

See also

• nepotism baby