IdiomThe Absurd
English
Englishcast pearls before swine
Meaning: To offer something to someone who cannot appreciate it.
Example: “Explaining fine wine to him is casting pearls before swine.”
Equivalents in other languages
Japanese: 猫に小判 (Neko ni koban) Literally: A gold coin to a cat
Hindi: बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (bandar kya jaane adrak ka svaad) Literally: What does a monkey know about the taste of ginger?
Arabic: اللي ما يعرف الصقر يشويه (illi ma yaʿrif al-ṣaqr yishwīh) Literally: He who doesn't know the falcon, grills it
Swedish: kasta pärlor för svin Literally: Cast pearls before swine
Russian: метать бисер перед свиньями (metat' biser pered svin'yami) Literally: To cast pearls before swine
French: Donner de la confiture à un cochon Literally: To give jam to a pig
Origin: From the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 7:6): "neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet." Pigs cannot appreciate pearls, just as some people cannot appreciate what is valuable.
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