"the world is someone's oyster" meaning in English

See the world is someone's oyster in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Proverb

IPA: /ðə ˈwɜːld‿ɪz ˌsʌmwʌnz ˈɔɪstə/ [Received-Pronunciation], /ðə ˈwɜɹld‿ɪz ˌsʌmwʌnz ˈɔɪstəɹ/ [General-American] Audio: En-us-the world is someone's oyster.oga
Rhymes: -ɔɪstə(ɹ) Etymology: From the version of the play The Merry Wives of Windsor published in the First Folio (1623) of the works of the English playwright William Shakespeare (baptized 1564; died 1616): see the quotation. The original context was that Ancient Pistol would use force to obtain a loan from Sir John Falstaff, like prising open an oyster with a sword to obtain a pearl. Etymology templates: {{nb...|A Most Pleasaunt and Excellent Conceited Comedie, of Syr Iohn Falstaffe, and}} […], {{nb...|Entermixed with Sundrie Variable and Pleasing Humors, of Syr Hugh the Welch Knight, Iustice Shallow, and His Wife Cousin M. Slender. With the Swaggering Vaine of Auncient Pistoll, and Corporall Nym. By William Shakespeare. As It hath bene Diuers Times Acted by the Right Honorable My Lord Chamberlaines Seruants. Both before Her Maiestie, and Else-where.}} […], {{nb...|and are to be sold at his shop in Powles Church-yard, at the signe of the Flower de Leuse and the Crowne.}} […], {{circa2|1597|short=yes}} c. 1597 Head templates: {{en-proverb}} the world is someone's oyster
  1. All opportunities are open to someone; the world is theirs. Wikipedia link: Ancient Pistol, First Folio, The Merry Wives of Windsor, William Shakespeare Derived forms: the world is one's lobster Related terms: carpe diem, seize the day, take the bull by the horns Translations (all opportunities are open to someone): 世界屬於你 (Chinese Mandarin), de wereld ligt aan iemands voeten (Dutch), maailma on avoin (Finnish), die Welt liegt einem zu Füßen (German), העולם פרוש לרגליך (Hebrew), この世は思いのまま (kono yo wa omoi no mama) (Japanese), świat stoi przed kimś otworem (Polish), el mundo es tuyo, te vas a comer el mundo [masculine] (Spanish)
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          "lang": "Macedonian",
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          "note": "весь мир к твои́м услу́гам (vesʹ mir k tvoím uslúgam, literally “the whole world is at your service”)",
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      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "世界屬於你"
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    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "note": "世界属于你 (shìjiè shǔyú nǐ, literally “the world is yours”)",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone"
    },
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      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "de wereld ligt aan iemands voeten"
    },
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      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "maailma on avoin"
    },
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      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "die Welt liegt einem zu Füßen"
    },
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      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "העולם פרוש לרגליך"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
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      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "この世は思いのまま"
    },
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      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "note": "све́тот е твој (svétot e tvoj, literally “the world is yours”)",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "note": "сѐ е во тво́и ра́це (sè e vo tvói ráce, literally “everything is in your hands”)",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone"
    },
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      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "word": "świat stoi przed kimś otworem"
    },
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      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "весь мир к твои́м услу́гам (vesʹ mir k tvoím uslúgam, literally “the whole world is at your service”)",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "note": "всё в твои́х рука́х (vsjo v tvoíx rukáx, literally “everything is in your hands”)",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "all opportunities are open to someone",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "el mundo es tuyo, te vas a comer el mundo"
    }
  ],
  "word": "the world is someone's oyster"
}

Download raw JSONL data for the world is someone's oyster meaning in English (6.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

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