«اِلْجَوَابْ يِنْقِرِي مِنْ عِلْوَانُهْ»

The saying holds that the outside of a thing announces what is inside it. Just as the heading on a letter, the outside label whose colloquial name is a variant of the ordinary word for a title, hints at whether its message is welcome or troubling, a situation's surface is taken as a dependable guide to its concealed content.

It is applied to matters whose hidden character can be inferred from their visible side. The point cuts both ways: a promising start suggests good things ahead, and an unpleasant opening warns that trouble is likely to follow.

Use it when an opening, first impression, or visible sign already reveals how something will turn out, good or bad. It suits remarks about a venture, someone's conduct, or an event whose early outward features plainly show its hidden nature.