make a silk purse of a sow's ear

Questions

What does make a silk purse of a sow's ear mean?

To produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

Where does make a silk purse of a sow's ear come from?

Coined by Stephen Gosson in 1579 in the book The Ephemerides of Phialo: Deuided Into Three Bookes p62v

How to pronounce make a silk purse of a sow's ear

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “make a silk purse of a sow's ear”.
2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “make a silk purse of a sow's ear”.
4. Repeat and practice — Say “make a silk purse of a sow's ear” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.