What it means
Means someone was born into money and privilege, the kind of person who’s never had to graft or worry about bills. The image comes from posh families giving babies silver spoons as a christening gift, so their first taste of life is literally precious metal. Usually said with a bit of side-eye about clueless rich-kid behaviour.
Usage examples
"He’s proper posh, mate. Mumsy bought him a flat in Zone 2 and he still moans about being skint. Born with a silver spoon in his mouth."
"He acts like he earned it all, but he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a flat handed to him at twenty-one."
"Not everyone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, some of us actually had to save up for the deposit."
"Course he thinks unpaid internships build character, he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and a safety net under the safety net."
"She was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, then acts shocked when people can't just ring their dad for rent money."
Where it comes from
The phrase comes from old Europe and Britain, where wealthy families really did give babies silver spoons as christening gifts. By the 18th and 19th centuries, that spoon had become a tidy symbol of inherited wealth, comfort, and a life cushioned from the jump.
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