Is the world your oyster?

I have a question about the phrase “the world is his oyster.” What does it really mean?

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.

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 reference I have is:

"THE WORLD’S MINE OYSTER from Mr Shakespierre:

Falstaff: I will not lend thee a penny.
Pistol: Why then the world’s mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open.
Falstaff: Not a penny.

So two questions, what does the phrase really mean, and two, is the world your oyster?

:smiley:

“The world is your oyster but your future’s a clam”

Guanxi to the first person to correctly identify song & artist.

[quote=“mod lang”]“The world is your oyster but your future’s a clam”

Guanxi to the first person to correctly identify song & artist.[/quote]

Not bad, but I prefer Down in the Tube Station at Midnight. Great band.

Who knows what Shakespear was ever on about ? he didn’t half spout a load of meaningless rubbush, what was he on ? “the world is my oyster”, “all the world’s a stage” ? Which one is it ? Oysters are stages ?
If I said “My life is a penguin” you’'ll all think I’m raving mad.

What’s with Shakespear without the final “e”? The only time I’ve ever seen it written like that is by someone who believe he was the Earl of Oxford.

I can’t spell, that’s all it is. Besides, Shakespeare himself spelt his own name no less than 14 different names, the raving loony, I was just using one of his spellings :slight_smile:

[quote=“mod lang”]“The world is your oyster but your future’s a clam”

Guanxi to the first person to correctly identify song & artist.[/quote]

Sounds like “When You’re Young” by The Jam. I’m not sure if they are the original artists, though.

Correct, but I already gave the guanxi to Sandman as he identified it first. But what the hey, here’s a couple of guanxi anyway.

Thanks for the G$, I’m saving up for an avatar. :slight_smile: I’m trying to let the miracle of compound interest work for me. Only about two months to go before I can afford it.

I guess I should have PMed you with my response.

El pias es me taco, yo no necessito mas, especially not a sword with which to open it.

hey F, the correct answer is “d” “I don’t need money, with my sword and skill I can take what I need”

el chou

[quote=“scomargo”]Thanks for the G$, I’m saving up for an avatar. :slight_smile: I’m trying to let the miracle of compound interest work for me. Only about two months to go before I can afford it.

I guess I should have PMed you with my response.[/quote]

Here’s a 100 to get you out of your Jam.

“The world is my oyster, except for the months with an ‘r’ in them.” – from the Tale of the Giant Rat of Sumatra.

I’ve also seen:

“The world’s my lobster” (which I have been known to use myself) - and for some reason suspect that may come from Frankie Goes to Hollywood. I never really knew what those guys were on about.

and “The world is the crustacean of your choice” - Terry Pratchett maybe? - which I interpret as meaning that life’s what you make it.

My fave reference to shellfish in literature has to be Douglas Adams with “we won’t stand a whelk’s chance in a supernova”. I think the meaning of that one is pretty clear.

Any more?

from the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms:

world is one’s oyster, the

Everything is going well, as in I was younger then, and the world was my oyster. In this term the oyster is something from which to extract great profit (a pearl). It was probably invented by Shakespeare in The Merry Wives of Windsor (2:2): Why then, the world’s mine oyster, which I with sword will open.

Artist: Frankie Goes To Hollywood
Song: Welcome To The Plesuredome

The world is my oyster…
Ha ha ha ha ha…

The animals are winding me up
The jungle call
The jungle call

Who-ha who-ha who-ha who-ha

In Xanadu did Kublai Khan