leopard cannot change its spots, a
a leopard can't change its spots
proverb One will stay true to one's nature, even if one pretends or claims otherwise. After our breakup, he came crawling back, trying to convince me that he'd changed, but I know that a leopard can't change its spots.
See also: change, leopard, spot
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
leopard cannot change its spots, a
Also, the tiger cannot change its stripes. One can't change one's essential nature. For example, He's a conservative, no matter what he says; the leopard cannot change its spots. These metaphoric expressions both originated in an ancient Greek proverb that appears in the Bible (Jeremiah 13:23): "Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?" It was first recorded in English in 1546.
See also: cannot, change, leopard
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- as one door closes, another (one) opens
- as one door closes, another one opens
- as one door closes, another opens
- drive (one) out of office
- force (one) out of office
- force out of office
- give (someone) an inch and (someone) (will) take a mile
- give (someone) an inch and (someone) (will) take a yard
- give head
- give (one) (one's) head