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Arabic · Arabic scriptProverb: Verified

«جَوِّزُوا مِشْكَاحْ لِرِيمَهْ، مَا عَلَى الِاتْنِينْ قِيمَهْ»

Meanings

Each meaning is reviewed on its own.

Meaning: Verified
English translation

Wed Mishkah to Rima, since neither one is worth a thing.

Literal wording

Marry Mishkah off to Rima; upon the two of them there is no worth.

Meaning and lesson

The proverb sneers at a pairing of two people regarded as worthless. Mishkah and Rima serve as stand-in names for unremarkable people, not known individuals. Telling others to marry one nobody to another suggests neither partner brings value or dignity, and their easy agreement is mocked as shared lowliness rather than praised as compatibility.

The second half uses an expression for someone who lacks any trace of importance or presence: no worth rests upon them. The rhyme between the woman's name and the word for worth sharpens the jibe, making the line a quick, memorable dismissal of two equally insignificant people.

When it is used

Said with scorn about two people of little standing who pair up, marry, or side with each other, implying the match suits them because neither has anything to offer. It is insulting and belittles both parties, so it belongs in teasing or criticism, not polite speech.

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