Born with a silver spoon in one’s mouth

To be born into affluence or under lucky auspices. The earliest appearance in print is in Cervantes’ Don Quixote, which was completed in 1615 and translated into English by 1703. Part IV, 73, p.926, “Every man was not born with a silver spoon in his mouth.” Of course, the affluent were more likely to eat with silver but it could also be a reference to the custom of giving silver spoons to mark the christening of babies. While addressing the US Democratic Convention in Atlanta in 1988, Texas Treasurer Ann Richards adapted the expression to describe George Bush, the Republican nominee, “Poor George. He can’t help it. He was born with a silver foot in his mouth.”