cast pearls before swine

English

Etymology

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

Verb

to cast pearls before swine

1. (idiomatic) To give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate it.

Translations

cast pearls before swine (lit.)

Aramaic: Syriac: ܬܪܡܐ ܡܪܓܢܝܬܐ ܩܕܡ ܚܙܝܪܐ (tarme’ margānyātā’ qdām ħzīre’) Croatian: bacati bisere pred svinje (hr) Danish: kaste perler for svin (da) Dutch: parels voor de zwijnen (nl) Finnish: heittää helmiä sikojen eteen German: Perlen vor die Säue werfen (de) Icelandic: kasta perlum fyrir svín (is)

Italian: gettare perle ai porci (it) Japanese: 豚に真珠 (ja) (ぶたにしんじゅ, buta-ni shinju) Latin: mittere margaritas ante porcos Polish: rzucać perły przed wieprze (pl) Portuguese: dar pérolas a porcos (pt), jogar pérolas aos porcos (pt) (other verbs used: atirar, lançar) Russian: метать бисер перед свиньями (ru) (metát' bíser péred svín'jami) Spanish: echar perlas a los cerdos (es) Swedish: kasta pärlor för svin (sv), kasta pärlor för svinen (sv)

equivalent idiom

Chinese: Mandarin: (literally, "to play the lute to cattle") 對牛彈琴 (cmn), 对牛弹琴 (cmn) (duìniútánqín) Finnish: helmiä sioille (fi) French: donner de la confiture aux cochons (fr) “give jam to pigs” Japanese: 猫に小判 (ja) (ねこにこばん, neko-ni koban) “gold coins to cats”

Malay: kera diberi bunga (ms) "to give flowers to a monkey" Russian: метать бисер перед свиньями (ru) (metát' bíser péred svín'jami) Spanish: dar margaritas a los cerdos (es), echar margaritas a los cerdos (es) (give/throw daisies to pigs), echar perlas a los cerdos (es)