If you say that someone was born with a silver spoon in their mouth, you mean that their parents were very rich. He's wealthy now but he certainly wasn't born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Note: You can use silver-spoon before a noun to describe a person like this or their lifestyle. Hers was no silver-spoon upbringing. Note: You often use this expression to show disapproval. Note: This expression goes back to the 17th century. The reference is to babies from wealthy families being fed using silver spoons.