spoon

A metaphor for ample wealth that has been passed down through inheritance. (Used primarily in the phrase "born with a silver spoon in (one's) mouth.") We may both be wealthy now, but I never had a silver spoon growing up. I had nothing when I was young, and all of my fortune is down to my own hard work. Everyone who attends that university was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, so I just don't think it's the right place for me.

A small restaurant or diner, especially one that serves fried foods. Every time I go on a road trip, I make it a point to stop at a greasy spoon for at least one of my meals.

To be born into a wealthy family. We may both be wealthy now, but I was not born with a silver spoon in my mouth. I had nothing when I was young, and all of my fortune is down to my own hard work. Everyone who attends that university was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, so I just don't think it's the right place for me.

Fig. born into wealth and privilege. James doesn't know anything about working for a living; he was born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Most of the students at the exclusive private college were born with silver spoons in their mouths.

Fig. a cheap diner, where the silverware might not be too clean. The corner greasy spoon is always busy at lunchtime.

Prov. If you have dealings with dangerous people, you must be careful that they do not harm you. If you're going to hang out with that disreputable bunch of people, keep in mind that he who sups with the devil should have a long spoon.

to serve something out, as with a spoon; to give something out, as with a spoon. The cook spooned the beans out, giving plenty to each camper. The cook spooned out the beans.

to serve something that requires finding and bringing up out of a pot with a spoon. The cook spooned the hard-cooked eggs up one by one. The cook spooned up chunks of meat from the stew.

Fig. to treat someone with too much care or help; to teach someone with methods that are too easy and do not stimulate the learner to independent thinking. The teacher spoon-feeds the students by dictating notes on the novel instead of getting the children to read the books. You mustn't spoon-feed the new recruits by telling them what to do all the time. They must use their initiative.

to have opportunities that you did not earn but that you have from the influence of your family Bill was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth – he came from a poor family and earned his success through hard work.

to be the son or daughter of a very rich family His complete lack of concern about money is natural of someone who was born with a silver spoon in their mouth.

a small, cheap restaurant which mainly serves fried food of a low quality There's a greasy spoon on the corner of his street where he usually has breakfast.

to be given too much help or information When I was at school we weren't spoon-fed, we had to work things out for ourselves.

an imaginary prize given to the person who finishes last in a race or competition For the second year running Ireland took the wooden spoon in the Rugby tournament.

Born wealthy, or fortunate, or both, as in Paul can afford to go to medical school; he was born with a silver spoon. Although some authorities believe this phrase alludes to the custom of godparents giving their godchild a silver spoon, affordable only by rich persons, it is more likely that the spoon has come to symbolize wealth. [c. 1700]

A cheap restaurant, especially one serving short-order fried foods. For example, College students short of cash tend to eat a lot in that greasy spoon. This expression also implies that the restaurant is not very clean. [c. 1900]

Financial and social advantages from family connections. It was traditional when a child was christened for the godparents to give a silver spoon as a gift or as soon afterwards as they could afford one (if they ever could). However, a child born into a wealthy family always received one at the ceremony. Such infants so privileged were said, often enviously, to have been “born with a silver spoon in their mouth,” and the image followed them throughout their lives.

A exclamation indicating disgust. “Val-speak” was an idiom created in the 1970s by so-called Valley Girls, reputedly materialistic and self-centered young women who lived in California's San Fernando Valley (outside Los Angeles). Their vocabulary and speech patterns swept the country, propelled by popular music, television shows, and such movies as “Clueless” (based on Jane Austen's novel Emma). Like other fads, linguistic or otherwise, Val-speak disappeared almost as quickly as it had burst on the scene. Where once the staple “gag me with a spoon” (meaning that something was awful enough to induce nausea), was widely heard, it's gone the way of “well, dog my cat” and other archaisms. That's not to say that all Val-speak has disappeared. “As if ” (“that's not going to happen”), “duh!” (“that's obvious”), and the ubiquitous “like” are heard wherever the English language is used . . . and misused.