This famous phrase is a quote from Matthew’s Gospel: ‘Give not that which is holy unto the dogs,’ writes the Evangelist, ‘neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you.’
This dramatic image—which of course gains extra power from the fact that pigs are considered unclean animals by orthodox Jews—became a favorite in the Middle Ages, first mentioned in English by William Langland in Piers Plowman in the fourteenth century. Charles Dickens used the phrase in his 1848 novel Dombey and Son, to mean ‘doing a thankless thing.’
But the most famous occurrence, which gives a twist to the ancient meaning, is in a story about Dorothy Parker, the great American humorist of the 1920s. ‘Age before beauty,’ said a cheeky young woman while holding a door open for Parker to pass. Quick as a flash Parker replied: ‘Pearls before swine.’
It's a sad fact that when you're older, con artists put a target on your…
Everyone wants to turn their house into their dream home, or at least make small…
Walmart has a few tricks up its sleeve when it comes to getting consumers to…
Developing good habits helps us focus on things that need our attention most. But as…
When I spotted a garage sale sign yesterday, I had to circle the block after…
Social Security was never intended to fund a comfortable retirement all by itself, but it…