Meanings
- 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
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbIt is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.
Origin
From make a silk purse of a sow's ear, with the common perception of swine as unrefined, dirty, or base creatures.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Afrikaans al dra 'n aap 'n goue ring, hy is en bly 'n lelike ding
- al dra 'n aap 'n goue ring, hy is en bly 'n lelike dingit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Bulgarian див глог питомно грозде не ражда
- див глог питомно грозде не ражда (div glog pitomno grozde ne ražda)it is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Dutch al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk ding
- al draagt een aap een gouden ring, het is en blijft een lelijk dingit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Finnish ei paska punniten parane, roskasta ei saa kultaa
- ei paska punniten paraneit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
- roskasta ei saa kultaait is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
French le singe est toujours singe, fût-il vêtu de pourpre
- le singe est toujours singe, fût-il vêtu de pourpreit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
German man kann aus einem Ackergaul kein Rennpferd machen, man kann aus einem Esel kein Rennpferd machen
- man kann aus einem Ackergaul kein Rennpferd machenit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
- man kann aus einem Esel kein Rennpferd machenit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Greek τον γάιδαρο, όσο και να τον στολίσεις, άλογο δεν γίνεται
- τον γάιδαρο, όσο και να τον στολίσεις, άλογο δεν γίνεται (ton gáidaro, óso kai na ton stolíseis, álogo den gínetai)it is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Polish i w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżu, małpa zawsze będzie małpą, choćby i w jedwabiu
- i w Paryżu nie zrobią z owsa ryżuit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
- małpa zawsze będzie małpą, choćby i w jedwabiuit is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Russian от оси́ны не родя́тся апельси́ны, из говна конфетку не сделаешь
- от оси́ны не родя́тся апельси́ны (ot osíny ne rodjátsja apelʹsíny)it is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
- из говна конфетку не сделаешь (iz govna konfetku ne sdelaješʹ)it is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Spanish aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se queda, lo que natura no da, Salamanca no presta
- aunque la mona se vista de seda, mona se quedait is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
- lo que natura no da, Salamanca no prestait is not possible to produce something refined from something which is unrefined
Cite this entry
you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20make%20a%20silk%20purse%20of%20a%20sow's%20ear
“you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20make%20a%20silk%20purse%20of%20a%20sow's%20ear. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/you%20can't%20make%20a%20silk%20purse%20of%20a%20sow's%20ear.
Source: you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.