the fox may grow grey but never good

English

Proverb

the fox may grow grey but never good

1. One cannot change one's nature, no matter how much time passes.

Synonyms

• a leopard cannot change its spots
• the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature
• you can't teach an old dog new tricks

Translations

one cannot change one's own nature

• French: les loups peuvent perdre leurs dents, mais non le naturel
• German: der Wolf ändert wohl sein Haar, aber er bleibt, wie er war
• Greek: ο λύκος κι αν εγέρασε κι άσπρισε το μαλλί του, μήτε τη γνώμη άλλαξε, μήτε την κεφαλή του (o lýkos ki an egérase ki ásprise to mallí tou, míte ti gnómi állaxe, míte tin kefalí tou)
• Italian: il lupo perde il pelo ma non il vizio
• Latin: lupus pilum mutat, non mentem
• Russian: волк каждый год линяет, да обычая не меняет (volk každyj god linjajet, da obyčaja ne menjajet), горбатого могила исправит (ru) (gorbatovo mogila ispravit), зарекалась лиса кур не воровать (zarekalasʹ lisa kur ne vorovatʹ)
• Spanish: el lobo muere lobo
• Yiddish: אַ חזיר בלײַבט אַ חזיר (a khazer blaybt a khazer)