«يَا وِحْشَهْ كُونِي نِغْشَهْ»

Addressed in the feminine but applied to any plain-looking person, the saying holds that charm can stand in for beauty. Someone whose appearance draws no one toward them is urged to compensate by becoming lively, teasing and even flirtatious, so that warmth and wit do the work a pretty face cannot.

More broadly, it captures a practical view of social acceptance: when one natural advantage is missing, cultivate another. Pleasant company and a light spirit are presented as a reliable route to being liked, regardless of looks.

Used of, or teasingly to, someone lacking good looks, advising them to win people over through humor, playfulness and charm. Suited to informal, joking talk; directing it at a specific listener is risky because it bluntly labels them unattractive.