在近代早期的歐洲家庭，餐桌上用什麼樣的餐具，往往宣告了主人的社會地位。在富裕人家，銀製餐具是極其珍貴的家當，它與身分地位緊密相連，以至於「銜著銀湯匙出生」成了形容富貴人家出身的鮮明說法。這句話最早的確切出處難以考證，但其概念與一項由來已久的傳統有關：富人家庭擁有（有時也會贈送）銀湯匙，而貧寒家庭只能使用較便宜的材質。
如今，born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth 指的是某人出生在擁有財富與優勢的家庭，常帶有「不必為溫飽而辛苦打拚」的意味。它指涉的是坐擁現成的特權，而非關個人的努力或成就。
應用
• 使用頻率：8/10
• 適用場合：Casual
例句
• Everyone assumes Sarah was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but she started her first business at twenty.
(大家都以為莎拉是出身豪門，但她二十歲就自己創業了。)
• She’s never had to work a day in her life; she was born with a silver spoon in her mouth.
(她這輩子根本沒吃過一天苦，就是含著銀湯匙出生的千金小姐啊！)
• He’s never had to worry about money — he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and has had everything handed to him his whole life.
(他從來不需要為錢煩惱——生而富貴，這輩子什麼都是現成的。)
