- English translation
She was wild enough already, and then someone handed her a drum.
- Literal wording
A madwoman, and they gave her a tambourine.
- Meaning and lesson
The saying describes a situation made worse by careless provision: a person already given to wild or disruptive behavior receives exactly the instrument that lets that behavior grow louder and spread further. The fault lies partly with those who supplied the means.
More broadly, it warns against equipping a volatile or reckless person with power, resources, or encouragement. What was once a contained nuisance becomes a disturbance felt by everyone nearby, and the whole neighborhood pays for the poor judgment.
- When it is used
Said with exasperation when someone prone to disruption is handed a tool or platform that lets them cause more trouble, criticizing the enablers as well. Its image rests on a dated, gendered stereotype of mental illness and may read as insensitive.
- Register
- colloquial Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
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