狗嘴里吐不出象牙

no ivory comes from the mouth of a dog (idiom) / no good words are to be expected from a scoundrel

lit. no ivory comes from the mouth of a dog (idiom) / fig. one does not expect fine words from a scoundrel

dog / CL:隻|只[zhi1],條|条[tiao2]

mouth / beak / nozzle / spout (of teapot etc) / CL:張|张[zhang1],個|个[ge4]

mouth / in the mouth / on one's lips / speech / words

variant of 裡|里[li3]

lining / interior / inside / internal / also written 裏|里[li3]

li, ancient measure of length, approx. 500 m / neighborhood / ancient administrative unit of 25 families / (Tw) borough, administrative unit between the township 鎮|镇[zhen4] and neighborhood 鄰|邻[lin2] levels

to spit / to send out (silk from a silkworm, bolls from cotton flowers etc) / to say / to pour out (one's grievances)

to vomit / to throw up

no; not so / (bound form) not; un-

to go out / to come out / to occur / to produce / to go beyond / to rise / to put forth / to happen / (used after a verb to indicate an outward direction or a positive result) / classifier for dramas, plays, operas etc

variant of 出[chu1] (classifier for plays or chapters of classical novels)

elephant / CL:隻|只[zhi1] / shape / form / appearance / to imitate

ivory / elephant tusk

tooth / ivory / CL:顆|颗[ke1]