«أَوِّلْ مَا شَطَحْ نَطَحْ»

The saying faults someone whose first step in an undertaking is already a bad one. It highlights a conspicuously poor beginning, where an initial action brings trouble rather than showing competence or care.

It may describe a new effort that promptly produces an error or harmful result, stressing how quickly the misstep occurs. A traditional explanatory anecdote associates it with stereotypes about particular communities; that portrayal is historical context, not an endorsement of such stereotypes.

Use it for a conspicuously bad first move or an effort that immediately goes wrong. It can suit critical or humorous reactions to an early mistake, but may sound harsh or derisive when directed at someone personally, especially in sensitive situations.