Re: WORLD IS MY OYSTER?

Posted by Marcus on December 28, 2000

In Reply to: Re: WORLD IS MY OYSTER? posted by ESC on December 27, 2000

: : : What does it mean?

: : 1. The Oyster may contain a pearl
: : 2. The pearl has great value
: : 3. I will seek my fortune in the world
: : 4. I consider the world to be my Oyster
: : 5. I work on the principle that the world contains a 'virtul' pearl

: : Or in short form The World is my Oyster

: THE WORLD IS AN (ONE'S) OYSTER - "If you have a lot of money, you can have anything you want. The proverb first appears in Shakespeare's play 'The Merry Wives of Windsor' .'Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny. Pistol: Why, then, the world's mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.' Act II, Scene II." From "Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings" by Gregory Y. Titelman (Random House, New York, 1996).

: A second reference says the phrase means: "All the pleasures and opportunities of life are open to someone because he is young, rich, handsome, successful, etc. Shakespeare invented or popularized this expression." From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997).

: OK. I'm confused. Does "the world is my oyster" mean:
: a. I have money, therefore all the good things of the world are available to me.
: b. I don't have money, therefore the world is my oyster and I'm going to look for the pearl. OR
: c. I'm young and good-looking and my mama loves me, therefore even though I don't have money, all the good things of the world are available to me.

: The world is yours for the taking; whatever you make of it.

• Re: The world's mine oyster ESC 12/28/00