YOU CAN’T MAKE A SILK PURSE OUT OF A SOW’S EAR

This idiom, or proverb, dates back to the 16th century [1], and it means that you can’t make a high-quality product from poor-quality materials.

 Examples:

 “As a vehicle dynamics engineer from another brand said to me this week, at least 80pc of how a car handles is down to the chassis. If it’s not up to standard, there’s only so much you can do with the rest of the set-up. You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”

 “You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear. I’m amazed at the lack of quality in some bats. I can’t compete on price with the thousands that are imported every year but I can make something that will last and will perform – in the right hands.”

 “‘Over the years, I’ve come to realize that, when the bean gets into the factory, 80 percent of what the chocolate can be is already determined,’ he explained. ‘You can go up from there or down from there, but you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.’”


 Photo credit: Jennie Rainsford (Creative Commons)

 [1] “silk” In Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms, edited by Ayto, John. Oxford University Press, 2009.