English [ edit ]
Etymology [ edit ]
From the Bible "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine , lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." – KJV , Matthew 7:6 .
Pronunciation [ edit ]
cast pearls before swine (third-person singular simple present casts pearls before swine , present participle casting pearls before swine , simple past and past participle cast pearls before swine )
( idiomatic ) To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate them.
1947 , Tennessee Williams , A Streetcar Named Desire , Scene 10:Blanche: ...Physical beauty is passing. A transitory possession. But beauty of the mind and richness of the spirit and tenderness of the heart—and I have all of those things—aren't taken away, but grow! Increase with the years! How strange that I should be called a destitute woman! When I have all of these treasures locked in my heart. [A choked sob comes from her] I think of myself as a very, very rich woman! But I have been foolish—casting my pearls before swine !
Synonyms [ edit ]
Derived terms [ edit ]
Translations [ edit ]
Aramaic:
Syriac: (please verify ) ܬܪܡܐ ܡܪܓܢܝܬܐ ܩܕܡ ܚܙܝܪܐ ( tarme’ margānyātā’ qdām ħzīre’ )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 明珠暗投 (zh) ( míngzhūàntóu )
Czech: házet perly sviním (cs)
Danish: kaste perler for svin
Dutch: parels voor de zwijnen , paarlen voor de zwijnen werpen
Esperanto: ĵeti perlojn antaŭ la porkojn
Finnish: heittää helmiä sioille
French: jeter des perles aux pourceaux (fr) , donner de la confiture à des cochons (fr) ( literally “ to give jam to pigs ” )
German: Perlen vor die Säue werfen (de)
Greek: μαργαρίτας τοις κυσίν ( margarítas tois kysín )
Hebrew: נזם זהב באף חזיר (he) ( nezem zahav be'af hazeer )
Icelandic: kasta perlum fyrir svín
Italian: gettare perle ai porci
Japanese: 豚に真珠 (ja) ( buta ni shinju ) , 猫に小判 (ja) ( neko ni koban , literally “ gold coins to cats ” )
Latin: mittere margaritas ante porcos
Malay: kera diberi bunga ( literally “ to give flowers to a monkey ” )
Norwegian:
Bokmål: kaste perler for svin (no)
Nynorsk: kaste perler for svin
Polish: rzucać perły przed wieprze (pl)
Portuguese: dar pérolas a porcos (pt) , jogar pérolas aos porcos (pt) (other verbs used: atirar , lançar )
Russian: мета́ть би́сер пе́ред сви́ньями (ru) ( metátʹ bíser péred svínʹjami )
Serbo-Croatian: bacati bisere pred svinje
Spanish: echar perlas a los cerdos , dar margaritas a los cerdos ( literally “ to give daisies to pigs ” ) , echar margaritas a los cerdos ( literally “ to throw daisies to pigs ” ) , no se hizo la miel para la boca del asno , Dios da pan a quien no tiene dientes
Swedish: kasta pärlor för svin (sv) , kasta pärlor för svinen
See also [ edit ]