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 is a Southernish saying meaning you can’t turn something plain or low-quality into something fine or fancy. An old English proverb that’s found a long, comfortable home in Southern speech.

#Southernish

synonyms: you can’t fix ugly, you can’t change what it is, polish a turd, lipstick on a pig

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Althought it's true in the South that 'you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,' you also can't in lots of other places.

Hillbilly Dude Says...

Althought it's true in the South that 'you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear,' you also can't in lots of other places.

Pronunciation

[Yew can’t make uh SILK PURSE outta uh SOW’s EER] /ju kænt meɪk ə sɪlk pɜrs aʊt ə saʊz ɪər/

Meaning & Usage

- Something cheap or rough can’t be made fancy (proverb)

Elmer:

You really think that old shed’s gonna look new?

Cora:

Bless your heart-you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.

variations: can’t make a silk purse out of a pig’s ear, can’t make something out of nothing

Origin

The proverb dates back to at least the 1500s in England, appearing in print as early as 1579. It crossed the Atlantic with settlers and became part of American folk speech, especially in farming regions where "sow’s ear" was everyday talk. While used nationwide and abroad, the phrase thrives in Southern conversation thanks to its rural imagery and plainspoken humor.

Verdict: Southernish. A shared English proverb that sounds right at home in the South but isn’t native to it.

Notes

Common across the U.S., U.K., Ireland, and Australia.
Used when someone’s trying to improve or fancy up something beyond saving.
Especially familiar in Southern and rural speech for its farm imagery.
Often delivered kindly but with a dose of hard truth.

Common Questions

What does "You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear" mean?

It means you can’t turn something rough or cheap into something elegant, no matter how hard you try.

Is it a Southern saying?

It’s originally English but became a fixture in Southern and rural American talk.

Where did it come from?

A 16th-century English proverb referring to the impossibility of making something fine from something coarse.

Do people still use it today?

Yes-especially in Southern, Midwestern, and rural speech, often with a chuckle or wink.

How to Cite This Page

APA (7th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. (2025, October 19). You Can’t Make a Silk Purse Out of a Sow’s Ear. HillbillySlang.com. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/silk-purse-out-of-a-sows-ear
MLA (9th edition)
"The Hillbilly Dude." "You Can’t Make a Silk Purse Out of a Sow’s Ear." HillbillySlang.com, 19 Oct. 2025, https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/silk-purse-out-of-a-sows-ear.
Chicago (17th edition)
The Hillbilly Dude. "You Can’t Make a Silk Purse Out of a Sow’s Ear." HillbillySlang.com. October 19, 2025. https://www.hillbillyslang.com/southernish/silk-purse-out-of-a-sows-ear.

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