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You are here: Home / Language / What Does the Expression “Born With a Silver Spoon in His Mouth” Mean and How Did it Originate?

What Does the Expression “Born With a Silver Spoon in His Mouth” Mean and How Did it Originate?

March 27, 2020 by Karen Hill

If someone is “born with a silver spoon in his mouth,” it means that he was born into wealth rather than having had to earn it.

The expression comes from an old custom of godparents giving the gift of a spoon to a child at its christening to signify their responsibility for its nourishment and well-being.

If they were wealthy, the spoon was usually silver, and if not, it would be pewter or tin.

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Filed Under: Language

About Karen Hill

Karen Hill is a freelance writer, editor, and columnist. Born in New York, her work has appeared in the Examiner, Yahoo News, Buzzfeed, among others.

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