From make a silk purse of a sow's ear, with the common perception of swine as unrefined, dirty, or base creatures.
you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear
- It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.
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)
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