Why is it called Open Sesame?

The true author of Ali Baba is contested. Keep reading for more about the phrase “open sesame” – what the phrase really means, where it came from, and why some people insist it’s pronounced “open says me” instead.

Is it open me or sesame?

The correct answer is Open sesame. “Open Says me” is a joke answer.

Who said open sesame for the first time?

At the end of a year Ali Baba, hearing nothing of the two remaining robbers, judged they were dead, and set out to the cave. The door opened on his saying, “Open Sesame!” He went in, and saw that nobody had been there since the Captain left it. He brought away as much gold as he could carry, and returned to town.

Is open sesame an idiom?

When someone uses the idiom ‘open sesame’ they are asking for something to literally open up. It is also often used to announce that something has opened. The term ‘open sesame’ first came from the fairytale of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves. The phrase was a magical term used to open a cave full of treasure.

Is the term open sesame?

From its apparently French origin, we can safely conclude that it is not “Open, says me”. Sesame is a name or a magic spell. The door may be semi-sentient or possessed by a spirit/djinn. Wikipedia also notes that “Oh Simsim” is another translation of the phrase.

Is Open Sesame an idiom?

Where does sesame come from?

The sesame plant likely originated in Asia or East Africa, and ancient Egyptians are known to have used the ground seed as grain flour. The seeds were used by the Chinese at least 5,000 years ago, and for centuries they have burned the oil to make soot for the finest Chinese ink blocks.

Who is Alibaba in Aladdin?

In the original 1,001 Arabian Nights, Ali Baba was a poor woodcutter and the brother of a wealthy man named Cassim who discovered the secret hideout of the Forty Thieves and their vast treasure after overhearing the magic word necessary to open the way to their hideout “Open Sesame”.

Where do sesame seeds come from?

Origins. Sesame seeds come from the Sesamum Indicum plant. Indigenous to the Sunda Islands in Indonesia and the oldest known oilseed plant in history, the plant has been cultivated for over 4,000 years. From Indonesia, sesame seeds made their way to China, Egypt, India, and Japan.

When was the first time Open Sesame was used?

Sesamo Apriti. Sesamo Apriti (Open Sesame) is the Italian version of Sesame Street, first broadcast in 1971. Approximately 50 episodes of the American show were cut to a half hour, and translated into Italian.