you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear

English

Etymology

From make a silk purse of a sow's ear, with the common perception of swine as unrefined, dirty, or base creatures.

Proverb

you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear

1. It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

Synonyms

• you can't polish a turd

Translations

it is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined

Afrikaans: al dra 'n aap 'n goue ring, hy is en bly 'n lelike ding (af) (literally “the monkey remains ugly even when he wears a golden ring.”) Arabic: please add this translation if you can Chinese: Cantonese: please add this translation if you can Mandarin: please add this translation if you can Dutch: al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding (nl) Finnish: ei paska punniten parane (vulgar), roskasta ei saa kultaa French: le singe est toujours singe, fût-il vêtu de pourpre German: man kann aus einem Ackergaul kein Rennpferd machen, man kann aus einem Esel kein Rennpferd machen Greek: τον γάιδαρο, όσο και να τον στολίσεις, άλογο δεν γίνεται (ton gáidaro, óso kai na ton stolíseis, álogo den gínetai) Polish: i w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżu (pl) (even in Paris they cannot make rice from oats) Portuguese: please add this translation if you can Russian: от оси́ны не родя́тся апельси́ны (ru) (ot osíny ne rodjátsja apelʹsíny) Spanish: aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda (es)

See also

• put lipstick on a pig
• cast pearls before swine