A hog in armour is still but a hog.
Meaning: Fine clothing cannot transform base character; inner nature persists regardless of external adornment.
Origin: Recorded in A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases, an undated collection published in London by Whittaker & Co. around 1880 and credited to Thomas Preston. Its earlier history hasn't been traced.
More proverbs about Challenge
- Do not holloa till you are out of the wood. — Avoid celebrating success prematurely; dangers may persist until you've completely escape…
- The stillest humours are always the worst. — Quiet resentment festers dangerously; unexpressed anger poses greater threat than obvious…
- Hunger will break through stone walls. — Desperation drives people to overcome barriers they'd otherwise consider insurmountable.
- Idle folk take the most pains. — Lazy people create unnecessary hardship through procrastination, requiring greater effort…
- Better be idle than ill employed. — Doing nothing wisely surpasses doing something harmful or wasteful to yourself and others.
- Idleness is the root of all evil. — Lack of productive activity breeds vice, as unoccupied minds and hands naturally drift to…
From our compliments & insults
- Casse-pieds — A massive bore or pain in the neck — someone who wears you down with their irritating way…
- Espèce de patate — You dim bulb — a potato being the very picture of inert, unthinking stodginess.
- Quel râleur / quelle râleuse — You never stop moaning — everything is a complaint, nothing is ever good enough.