You can't teach an old dog new tricks

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Meaning

Older folks or things resist change or learning, stuck in ways.

Origin

From 16th-century England, in a 1530 Fitzherbert husbandry book; 'the olde dogge' won't learn. By 1636, a Camden proverb lists it, tied to hunting dogs' fixed ways.

Variants

  • Old dog tricks

Usage Examples

  • He won't use the app; you can't teach an old dog new tricks.
  • You can't teach an old dog new tricks; she loves her typewriter.
  • This system's old; you can't teach it new tricks.

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