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Re: Pearls before the swine

Posted by ESC on May 25, 2005

In Reply to: Re: Pearls before the swine posted by David FG on May 24, 2005

: : What does "I will not cast pearls before the swine" mean?

:
: It means that something precious should not be wasted on those who are incapable of appreciating its value.

: An example might be that one wouldn't use a subtle and sophisticated piece of reasoning on someone who couldn't understand it.

: Its origins are Biblical (I think) and are something like 'Cast not your pearls before swine'.

: DFG

From the Phrase Dictionary on this site:

Meaning
Items of quality offered to those who aren't cultured enough to appreciate them.

Origin
From the Bible - Matthew 7,6. 'Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet.