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Glite Dictionary
on a plate

on a plate

9 5.1
To get something very easily without having to work for it
  • idiom
  • Informal
: en bandeja
  • After months of hard work, the project was completed and the success came on a plate.

She seems very smart and is kind of very gently offering you rape culture on a plate.

Examples

  • The government of Greece gave my head on a plate to Erdogan.

    Blog text (3)

  • Place some flour on a plate and roll the sausages in the flour, then fry the sausages in batches, turning over gently partway through cooking to brown on all sides.

    Blog text (3)

  • He was surprised when his promotion was handed to him on a plate without any effort.

  • Winning the award felt like receiving it on a plate, as I hardly had to compete.

Synonyms

on a silver platter
vson a plate
  • Informal
17 5.1

To get something very easily without having to work for it

is the plainer, neutral way to mean receiving something easily

Antonyms

to struggle
∞ 2.8

To try very hard to do or deal with something difficult

How Easy

on a plate
  • Informal
9 5.1
earned
68 2.2
difficult
∞ 1.6

Surface Forms

on a plate positive

Morphology

on + a + plate

The meaning 'given very easily without having to work for it' is metaphorically linked to the literal image of something presented 'on a plate' (ready to be taken), so a learner who knows 'on' and 'plate' can partially infer a sense of being handed or presented something. However, the pragmatic extension to opportunities or promotions is conventionalized and slightly metaphorical rather than strictly compositional; cross-linguistic parallels exist but the exact usage is not fully predictable, so it is best classified as semi-transparent.

Etymology

On a plate may come from the simple image of a meal served ready on a plate. You do not need to cook or fetch it, so on a plate now means 'to receive something very easily, without having to work for it'.