«عَصْبَهْ وْبُرْدَهْ عَلَى رَاسْ قِرْدَهْ»

The image sets two items of women's dress, a striped village headscarf and a wrap draped over the shoulders and wound around the head, onto a she-monkey. The point is that fine or respectable dress, placed on someone thought unsuited to it, looks absurd and changes nothing about the wearer.

Because qirda is feminine, the jibe is framed around a woman, comparing her to an animal. It mocks the gap between outward adornment and the person beneath. The Arabic pairs burda with qirda in a closing rhyme, giving the insult a quick, sing-song bite.

Used mockingly when a woman considered plain or unworthy appears in fine head coverings and wraps, implying the dress cannot hide what lies beneath. As an open insult likening a person to an animal, it is harsh when aimed directly; it suits sharp gossip, not polite company.