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Mr. Tom Posted 10 years ago
Vocabulary

Use a silk patch on a low-quality wool blanket

Hi

There is an interesting proverb in my language whose literal translation in English would be something like this:

Use a silk patch on a low-quality wool blanket.

It is used when someone spends a lot or uses something pretty expensive on something very cheap/invaluable. For example, a man buys very costly tires for this 1965-model jaded car.

I want to know if there an English equivalent.

Thanks,

Tom

PS: By the way, there is one exactly opposite also (use something very cheap on something very valuable.)
  

Top answer

Mr. Tom Use a silk patch on a low-quality wool blanket. I don't grasp the point of this proverb.

— CalifJim

  • Mr.
  • Tom Use a silk patch on a low-quality wool blanket.
  • I don't grasp the point of this proverb.
  • Is this supposed to be advice, as proverbs so often are?
  • Or is this not really a proverb, but an ordinary expression to say that someone is behaving foolishly?
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3 Answers
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Mr. TomUse a silk patch on a low-quality wool blanket.
I don't grasp the point of this proverb. Is this supposed to be advice, as proverbs so often are?

Or is this not really a proverb, but an ordinary expression to say that someone is behaving foolishly?

CJ
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Yes, CJ -- in my language, it is used as advice/caution when people use something very expensive on something not worth much. For example, you buy an extremely expensive chandelier for your run-down house.

Roughly something like this:

[Advice] Don't use a silk patch to cover the hole in the wool blanket.
[Even sarcastically] Look, she is using silk to...

Thanks,
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OK, Tom. I'm still thinking. So far, I haven't thought of any English expression that matches very well.

CJ
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