«اِلْقَد قَدِّ الْفُولَهْ، وِالْحِس حِسِّ الْغُولَهْ»

The saying pokes fun at someone tiny in body who nonetheless fills the air with a booming voice and constant racket. The humble fava bean stands for smallness, while the ghoul of folk belief stands for a terrifying roar; the feminine ghūla rhymes with fūla and need not comment on the target's gender.

More broadly, it points to any gap between how little something amounts to and how much noise it makes. The jab targets that mismatch, not ugliness or wickedness, and a speaker can use it to deflate bluster, suggesting the clamor promises a force the small source lacks.

Use it teasingly or critically about a small person, child, animal, or minor party whose shouting or commotion seems far out of proportion to their size. It is mocking and can sting when aimed at someone directly, since it likens them to a monstrous creature.