making a silk purse of a sow's ear

A form of make a silk purse of a sow's ear — To produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of make a silk purse of a sow's ear
Cite this entry
APA

making a silk purse of a sow's ear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/making%20a%20silk%20purse%20of%20a%20sow's%20ear

MLA

“making a silk purse of a sow's ear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/making%20a%20silk%20purse%20of%20a%20sow's%20ear. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “making a silk purse of a sow's ear,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/making%20a%20silk%20purse%20of%20a%20sow's%20ear.

Source: making a silk purse of a sow's ear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.