A leopard can't change its spots

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Meaning

A person's core nature or habits are unalterable, no matter how they try to appear otherwise, suggesting deep-seated traits persist like a leopard's fixed markings.

Origin

From the Bible, Jeremiah 13: 23 (circa 600 BCE), 'Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?'-a rhetorical no on inherent nature. English adopted it by the 1540s, as in a 1546 proverb collection. By the 19th century, Victorian moralists used it to judge the irredeemable, blending scripture with growing zoological fascination-leopards, exotic and untamable, became a perfect emblem for fixed flaws.

Variants

  • Can't change spots

Usage Examples

  • He says he's honest now, but a leopard can't change its spots.
  • She's back to her old tricks; a leopard can't change its spots.
  • Don't trust his promises; a leopard can't change its spots.

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