open sesame
Words granting entry
Open sesame is a magical phrase that causes doors or barriers to open, from the story of Ali Baba in *The Arabian Nights*.
By extension, it means anything that grants easy access to something otherwise closed: A Harvard degree is an open sesame to certain careers.
The phrase often carries slight irony, suggesting the access is unearned or too easy.
Folkloric treasure discoverer
- forty thievesGroup of bandits
- One Thousand and One NightsClassic frame-tale collection
- caveUnderground hollow in rock
- treasure caveUnderground chamber storing riches
Scheherazade · genie · magic words · incantation · fable · tale · legend · myth
Arrange letters correctly
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
- charmAttractive personal quality
- conjurationMagical act of summoning
abracadabra · hocus pocus · magic words · invocation · utterance
Point of access
- portalImposing entrance or gate
- entrancePoint of access
- doorwayPassage into a room
- thresholdPoint of beginning
secret passage · hidden door · vault · barrier · unlock · reveal · admittance · entry
Prearranged secret term
- passphraseAuthentication word sequence
- secret codeEncrypted communication system
- voice commandSpoken order to technology
- authenticationConfirming genuine identity
Ali Baba
Folkloric treasure discoverer
- forty thievesGroup of bandits
- One Thousand and One NightsClassic frame-tale collection
- caveUnderground hollow in rock
treasure cave · Scheherazade · genie · magic words · incantation · fable · tale · legend · myth · storytelling
spell
Arrange letters correctly
- incantationSpoken magical formula
- enchantmentMagical influence over someone
- charmAttractive personal quality
conjuration · abracadabra · hocus pocus · magic words · invocation · utterance
gateway
Point of access
threshold · secret passage · hidden door · vault · barrier · unlock · reveal · admittance · entry · passage
code word
Prearranged secret term
- passphraseAuthentication word sequence
- secret codeEncrypted communication system
- voice commandSpoken order to technology
authentication · access code · trigger word · credentials · entry code
gold
Element seventy-nine
- jewelsOrnamental precious stones
- richesAbundant valuable possessions
- hoardHidden accumulated valuables
chest · gems · fortune · loot · hidden wealth · cache · bounty · plunder · secret stash · valuables
- magic wordsabracadabra, alakazam, hocus pocus, presto, shazam
- sesame folkloreAli Baba, forty thieves, treasure cave, cave entrance, incantations
- Arabian NightsAladdin, Scheherazade, Ali Baba, Arabian Nights, Sinbad
- code wordspassword, passphrase, pin code, code name, cipher
- spellsspell, cast, conjure, curse, enchantment
- Eastern talesArabian Nights, Scheherazade, One Thousand and One Nights, Sinbad, Aladdin
open sesamebrick wall
Stacked masonry partition
dead bolt · Gordian knot · catch-22 · impasse · impossible task
open sesamelocked door
Secured portal requiring key
dead bolt · no entry · access denied · keep out · sealed shut
open, opening, openly, opened, opens, opener, reopen, sesame, reopening