IdiomFood & Drink
English
Englishon a silver platter
Meaning: Given to someone without any effort on their part.
Example: “The team handed their rivals the win on a silver platter.”
Origin: Food served on silver is presented grandly to the diner, who does nothing to get it. The phrase echoes the earlier "born with a silver spoon" and is common from the 20th century.
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: Att glida in på en räkmacka Literally: To slide in on a shrimp sandwich
Turkish: Armut piş, ağzıma düş Literally: Cook, pear, and fall into my mouth
More English idioms
- above board Honest and open, with nothing hidden.
- stake a claim To declare that something is yours, or that you have a right to it.
- dig one's heels in To refuse stubbornly to change one's mind.
- the scales fall from one's eyes To suddenly see the truth after being deceived.
- feet of clay A hidden weakness in someone or something admired.
- raze to the ground To destroy a building or town completely.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
- He who gets four pounds and spends five has no need of a purse. Spending beyond one's means makes financial planning irrelevant; the purse empties regard…
- Don't quarrel with the beggar for his bone. Arguing with someone who has nothing to lose is pointless and beneath your dignity.
- To cast oil in the fire is not the way to quench it. Adding fuel to conflict or anger only intensifies it rather than resolving it.
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