You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear
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It is impossible to make something excellent from poor material.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "WAS" VS. "WERE"!
Were you ready for a quiz on this topic? Well, here it is! See how well you can differentiate between the uses of "was" vs. "were" in this quiz.
Question 1 of 7
“Was” is used for the indicative past tense of “to be,” and “were” is only used for the subjunctive past tense.
Words nearby You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear
you can say that again, You can't fit a round peg in a square hole, You Can't Go Home Again, You can't have your cake and eat it too, You can't make an omelet without breaking eggs, You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear, You can't squeeze blood from a turnip, You can't take it with you, You can't teach an old dog new tricks, You can't unscramble an egg, you can't win
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.