make a silk purse of a sow's ear

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English

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Etymology

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

Verb

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make a silk purse of a sow's ear (third-person singular simple present makes a silk purse of a sow's ear, present participle making a silk purse of a sow's ear, simple past and past participle made a silk purse of a sow's ear)

  1. (idiomatic) To produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.
    • 1884, Charlotte M. Yonge, chapter 22, in The Armourer's Prentices:
      "He always was an unmannerly cub," said Master Headley, as he read the letter. "Well, I've done my best to make a silk purse of a sow's ear!"
    • 1997 May 23, Joanna Biddolph, “Mandelson has become PR’s new role model”, in PRWeek, UK, retrieved 16 Dec. 2009:
      PR people can make a silk purse of a sow's ear.
    • 2001 January 6, Penny Jackson, “House & Home: On your marks. Get set. Sell!”, in Independent, UK, retrieved 16 Dec. 2009:
      A smart development can make a silk purse of a sow's ear, and the effect on older properties can be quite dramatic.

Usage notes

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