Handed to You on a Silver Platter
A platter is a large flat dish for serving food. The word survives mainly in restaurants and in one very common phrase.
A platter is a large shallow dish for serving. Outside catering, the word survives mostly in one phrase: to hand something to someone *on a silver platter* means giving them what they wanted with no effort on their part, and the image is of a servant carrying it in.
- A large serving dish. *A meat platter.*
- A selection of food served on one. *A cheese platter.*
- On a silver platter — given without effort. *The job was handed to him on a platter.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | platter | An oval platter. |
| Plural | platters | Two platters. |
| Related | plate | A dinner plate. |
| Related | salver | A silver salver. |
| Related | charger | A charger plate. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Arrange the fish on a large platter.Serving.
- They ordered the seafood platter.A menu item.
- He expects it all on a platter.With no effort of his own.
Serving dishes
- Platter — large, flat, for serving
- Salver — a tray, often silver, for carrying
- Charger — a large decorative plate placed under others
- Tureen — a deep covered dish for soup
- Trencher — a medieval wooden or bread plate
From Anglo-French *plater*, from *plat*, a dish, from Old French *plat*, flat — the same root as *plate*, *platform* and *plateau*.
Where does *on a silver platter* come from?
From the image of food or a gift carried in on a fine dish by a servant. It has been used figuratively since the nineteenth century.
Platter or plate?
A plate is for one person to eat from. A platter is larger and for serving several people.