«طُورْ أَجْرَبْ وِيْطَلَّعْ مَيَّهْ زلَالْ»

The saying sets an unsightly, diseased-looking beast against the clear, sweet water it hauls up from the well. However repellent the animal appears, its strength at the wheel yields something clean and valuable. The worth of the labor is judged by its result, not by the look of the one doing it.

Applied to people, it describes someone who seems shabby, grimy, or ugly yet turns out to be genuinely skilled at a particular task. It warns against dismissing a worker because of outward appearance, while still openly acknowledging that the appearance is poor.

Use it when someone's unkempt or unattractive appearance has led others to underestimate them, but their work proves excellent. It suits informal, teasing speech. Directed at a listener, it is a backhanded compliment that still mocks their appearance and can sound demeaning.