He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth.
Meaning: Inheriting wealth from birth grants unearned advantages that others must struggle to achieve.
Origin: Silver spoons were a traditional christening gift from wealthy godparents, so a baby who seemed to arrive with one was born into money. The phrase first appears in print in Peter Motteux's 1719 translation of Don Quixote, where Sancho says that "every man was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth" — used to render a different Spanish saying, which suggests it was already familiar in English.
More proverbs about Communication
- Better that the feet slip than the tongue. — A physical misstep heals quickly, but careless words cause lasting damage to relationship…
- Spare to speak and spare to spend. — Restraint in both words and money preserves resources and prevents regrettable waste.
- There is a time to speak as well as to be silent. — Knowing when to withhold words proves as valuable as knowing when to voice them.
- Many speak much that cannot speak well. — Verbose people often lack the clarity and wisdom that characterizes truly eloquent speech.
- Speak fair and think what you will. — Private thoughts remain free even when public words must be diplomatic and measured.
- Speech is the picture of the mind. — Words reveal a person's inner thoughts, beliefs, and character more honestly than any del…
From our idioms
- get someone's dander up — To irritate or anger moderately.
- get the go-ahead — To receive or grant permission to proceed.
- get the message — To understand something that is only hinted at, perhaps because it is unpleasant.