OK, tell me how I can explain "lipstick on a pig" to my foreign ESL student?

[CTyankee]

He is a French speaking Swiss whose English isn't so good. We already have a list of american idioms a mile long in his workbook, but cultural stuff is part of our curriculum and we will cover the election.

Got any ideas, DU?

[hemphammock]

1. Tell him it's like planting Edelweiss in a cow pie.

:D

[CTyankee]

8. Very funny. I got this problem and you're a comedian!

Is "cow pie" in French merde de vache?

[hemphammock]

18. Oui!

:D

[TechBear_Seattle]

14. Excellent comparison!

:applause:

The phrase is an old American proverb of uncertain origin. The full expression is, "Don't put lipstick on a pig. It won't do any good and will only annoy the pig." I've seen the same sentiment expressed by not teaching a cat to sing, a mule to dance or a woman to drive (:hide:)

Basically, it means that a particular action is a waste of time because not only will the results be bad, it will likely lead to bad consequences (Have you ever tried to deal with an annoyed pig? It ain't pretty.) By extention, it also means that you cannot hide the basic nature of something through cosmetic changes alone.

If you ever find out the French (German?) equivalent proverb, please share it.

[aquart]

22. No, that is not what it means in current context.

The CURRENT origin is the Enron scandal. When they were still selling what they knew to be worthless stock, they were painting glowing descriptions of its value. THAT is "putting lipstick on a pig." It is prettying up something that isn't a bit pretty....and if you're selling a pig deal as a beauty queen of a stock, lipstick is just a flat out lie.

[C_U_L8R]

2. rouge à lèvres sur un cochon

at least that's what google says : - )))

[Gormy Cuss]

3. Making an obvious attempt to present something as better than it is and failing.

Wiki has a good description.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lipstick_on_a_pig

[MrBadExample]

4. Generalize it.

Probably the best thing is to tell him that the meaning of the idiom is something like "You can attempt to make something ugly pretty by changing it superficially, but underneath it's still an ugly thing". Clunky, but it gets the basic meaning across.

[TlalocW]

5. I think it's simple

Lipstick is something that one uses to make yourself more attractive.
Pigs are generally thought of as being so ugly even lipstick won't help them.
Obama was talking about McCain's policies being bad.
McCain is trying to do what he can to make his policies look good, but they're so bad, he can't.
So McCain is trying to put lipstick on a pig.

And of course, if he doesn't understand this, just repeat it louder and slower. Many times if you have to. :)

TlalocW

[angstlessk]

6. it's sorta like the princess kissing the frog....only in this case

instead of the frog turning into a prince...the princess ends up with warts on her mount..and the frog...well he remains a frog!!!

[hootinholler]

20. Warts on her mount? Oh my. n/t

[angstlessk]

28. thank you for allowing me to laugh at myself...

I meant mouth...of course..but..well....

[boobooday]

7. I want to know what happens after you explain to them

What kind of idioms do they have in their language to express the same sentiment? That would be interesting.

[CTyankee]

19. I think I'll get a funny look. I once had to explain "holy shit" to a Chinese woman who was mad as

hell. She said "holy shit" didn't make any logical sense and she demanded to know the logic. I think I told her it was meant to be funny and a little shocking to emphasize a feeling or a point. Another of my Chinese students (female) wanted to know if it was legal for her to shoot a squirrel. I said I didn't think there was an actual law against it, but she would have to obey the law about firearms possession. It was an interesting lesson actually.

[boobooday]

34. My favorite was in Grad School

With a very "proper" professor, and a Chinese student who had just discovered American Internet porn and did her presentation on all of the incredible diversity of it. She had this tone of total wonder and amazement.

And once, when I worked for the Dean, we got a letter from an ESL student in academic trouble. He took full responsibility, and said he "wasn't looking for an escape goat." I thought that was the best ever.

[whistle]

9. A picture is worth a thousand words

And you may also be able to translate this article from 2007 into French along with the comments:

http://conservablogs.com/bluecollarmuse/2007/12/06/a-pig-with-lipstick/

[CTyankee]

13. Of course, that picture! Great! n/t

[dysfunctional press]

27. or this one...which always makes me think of babs bush...

don't know why-

[whistle]

30. Better, oh yes it is

[DS1]

10. Grey Poupon on a Whammy Burger before 11:00 am

That'll totally make sense

[BurtWorm]

11. Wolf in sheep's clothing

Something nasty barely disguised as something nice.

[dipsydoodle]

12. Such things are difficult

I recall my daughter trying to explain the title of the Pink Floyd track "Pigs on the wing" to her French employer. The French simply don't use "when pigs can fly" : they use "when hens have teeth" It's the problem with literal translation.

[Lex]

15. The pig, he is ugly, no? The lipstick, it is the pretty-making, but is still pig.

nt

[hootinholler]

16. It's actually very sexist

The Pig being not a real pig but used in the sense of the fraternity pig party.

-Hoot

[Codeine]

26. Where the hell did you come up with that? nt

[vanderBeth]

17. Reading Le monde, the french idiom is

A vieille mule, frein doré

[slackmaster]

21. A Swiss person would probably understand "panties on a goat"

:hide:

[CTyankee]

24. I'll try that. At least Herve will be amused...n/t

[MNDemNY]

23. Shit, by any other name is still shit?

[DangerDave921]

25. Cooking

Tell him it's like putting Hollandaise sauce on a pile of horse-merde.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

29. He's probably familiar with "Potemkin Village".

[TechBear_Seattle]

31. Not quite the same, but...

An excellent phrase when speaking about the Junta's domestic and foreign policies. :hi:

[UTUSN]

32. Just TRANSLATE it!1 The meaning is the same!1 n/t

[radfringe]

33. a rose is a rose by any other name a rose.... n/t