- English translation
A head with no sense in it is worth less than a gourd bought for a coin nobody accepts anymore.
- Literal wording
A head without sense: a gourd for a jedid is better than it.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying holds that a head lacking reason is inferior even to a large gourd that cost almost nothing. A gourd can at least be put to some use, whereas a head without sense contributes nothing worth having to anyone.
The gourd is chosen because its round bulk resembles a head, so the image pictures the foolish person carrying something no better than a cheap vegetable. The jedid was a coin already out of circulation, so the price is a token sum, not an exact amount.
- When it is used
Aim it at someone judged to lack good sense, claiming that even an almost valueless object would serve better than their head. It directly insults intelligence, is not a gentle correction, and suits heated or mocking exchanges rather than polite or neutral ones.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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