you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear

Questions

What does you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear mean?

It is not possible to produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

Where does you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear come from?

From make a silk purse of a sow's ear, with the common perception of swine as unrefined, dirty, or base creatures.

How to pronounce you can't make a silk purse of a sow's ear

1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “you can't 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.
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