Ultimately from Jeremiah 13:23. <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> One cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> one's own nature. 1595 December 9 (first known performance), William...
cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> one's nature, no matter how much time passes. <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> the wolf may lose his teeth but never his nature you <span class="searchmatch">can't</span> teach...
be really <span class="searchmatch">changed</span>; cf. <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> the best is to emphasize <span class="searchmatch">a</span> proper education from the youngest age; cf. you <span class="searchmatch">can't</span> teach an old...
кобеля́ не отмо́ешь добела́ čórnovo kobeljá ne otmóješʹ dobelá <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> (literally, “you <span class="searchmatch">can’t</span> wash <span class="searchmatch">a</span> black dog to make it white”)...
tiũ⁴⁴ pa(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ he²¹⁻⁵³ tiau²⁴⁻²² lau²²/ 一歲生張，百歲牢老 (Hokkien) <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> <span class="searchmatch">can't</span> <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> 江山易改，本性難移／江山易改，本性难移 (jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí) (Hokkien)...
pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴ ia³³⁻²¹ si³³⁻²¹ ɡu²³/ 牛牽到北京也是牛 (Taiwanese Hokkien) <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> <span class="searchmatch">can't</span> <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> 江山易改，本性難移／江山易改，本性难移 (jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí) (Hokkien)...
otmóješʹ dobelá) <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> Synonyms: волк ка́ждый год линя́ет, а всё сер быва́ет (volk káždyj god linjájet, <span class="searchmatch">a</span> vsjo ser byvájet);...
transform <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> all <span class="searchmatch">change</span> alter or <span class="searchmatch">change</span> antichange baby <span class="searchmatch">changing</span> station changeable <span class="searchmatch">change</span> by reversal <span class="searchmatch">change</span> course <span class="searchmatch">change</span> direction...
kin⁴⁴ pa(ʔ)³²⁻⁵³ hue²¹⁻⁵³ tiau¹³⁻²² lau²²/ 一歲生根，百歲牢老 (Hokkien) <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> <span class="searchmatch">can't</span> <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> 江山易改，本性難移／江山易改，本性难移 (jiāngshān yì gǎi, běnxìng nán yí) (Hokkien)...
low colloquial, idiomatic) <span class="searchmatch">a</span> <span class="searchmatch">leopard</span> cannot <span class="searchmatch">change</span> <span class="searchmatch">its</span> <span class="searchmatch">spots</span> (said of bad habits or traits) as <span class="searchmatch">a</span> dog returns to his vomit, so <span class="searchmatch">a</span> fool repeats his folly...