Do you want to warn a friend against giving a valuable gift to someone who would not be able to appreciate it? You could use the phrase "cast pearls before swine". Discover what this idiom means and where it came from in this post.
Meaning
The idiom "cast pearls before swine", which has Biblical origins, paints an image of giving pearls, considered to be rather valuable, to pigs — which are presented as notoriously dirty animals.
Casting pearls before swine means to offer something to someone who could not possibly understand its value.
Example Usage
Are you curious about the ways in which you could use the ancient expression "to cast pearls before swine" in modern English? These examples should shed some light on your options:
- "I don't know anything about wine! Offering me that expensive Sauvignon Blanc would only be like casting pearls before swine. A beer will do me just fine."
- "I don't know why you waste your time trying to teach these YouTube addicts about Tolstoy. You're just casting pearls before swine."
- "Don't cast pearls before swine by offering that girl your grandmother's ring!"
Origin
The idiom "don't cast pearls before swine" simply warns against giving something excessively valuable to those who cannot appreciate it in a modern context.
The phrase comes directly from the Bible, however. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus warned first against judging others before judging oneself. After this, he said: "Do not cast your pearls before swine."
Multiple interpretations are possible, but one way to understand the meaning of this quote is that gospel should be shared with others, but when they are not ready to listen or accept it, no further efforts are to be made.
The vivid imagery the expression invoked has made "to cast pearls before swine" popular in completely secular settings as well, however.
Pigs are widely known as dirty animals who enjoy wallowing around in mud. They clearly wouldn't know what to do with pearls, which people appreciate as beautiful and valuable, so offering a pig pearls would clearly be a waste.
Although the idiom "to cast pearls before swine" comes from the Bible, it can be used to describe any situation in which someone is presented with something valuable that they are unable to appreciate today.
Phrases Similar to Cast Pearls Before Swine
Similar phrases include:
- Lipstick on a pig — this saying again contrast the mud-loving nature of pigs with something intended to beautify, and it means to try to make something look much better than it is.
- Barking up the wrong tree — this saying can, like "casting pearls before swine", refer to a wasted effort.
- Carrying coals to Newcastle — this English idiom again refers to a wasted effort, as Newcastle was a coal-producing city.
Phrases Opposite to Cast Pearls Before Swine
The saying "to cast pearls before swine" means to offer someone something excessively valuable that will not be appreciated. Phrases with contrasting meanings include:
- Don't look a gift horse in the mouth — meaning to show gratitude when receiving a gift, with the understanding that gifts may lack quality.
- Be weary of Greeks bearing gifts — meaning that gift-giving may have an ulterior motive.
What Is the Correct Saying?
"Don't cast pearls before swine" warns against offering someone something they could never appreciate. When you speak about "casting pearls before swine", you describe a situation in which someone is being given something they cannot appreciate.
Ways People May Say Cast Pearls Before Swine Incorrectly
Some people may use "casting pearls before swine" to warn against giving items they do not believe the recipient deserves. This is not how the proverb is generally used.
Acceptable Ways to Phrase Cast Pearls Before Swine
You can use the saying "to cast pearls before swine" to warn someone you know about giving gifts to those who cannot appreciate them, or to joke about not being able to appreciate something yourself.
You can also use "don't cast pearls before swine" to refer to the Biblical passage in which the phrase appears.