- English translation
Even a bland, inferior melon can be full of seeds.
- Literal wording
The pale, tasteless watermelon has many seeds.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb presents an object judged poor in quality whose abundance supplies no compensating value. Its many seeds are not treated as a virtue, but as part of what makes the whole seem unappealing.
More broadly, it rejects the claim that quantity can redeem an inferior thing. When the basic quality is unsatisfactory, extra components may reinforce rather than offset the negative judgment.
- When it is used
Use it for a dismissive criticism of something whose many features, parts, or extras do not make up for poor quality. Because the comparison is disparaging and can sound harsh when applied to a person or their work, reserve it for contexts where that force is intended.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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