ugl Idiom, Proverb

turn ugly

become uncivilized, begin fighting When Buddy insulted Ted's wife, things turned ugly.

ugly duckling

ugly or plain child (who grows up to be pretty) She was really an ugly duckling when she was a child but now she is quite beautiful.

ugly as sin

Idiom(s): (as) ugly as sin

Theme: APPEARANCE - LOOKS

very ugly.
• The new building is as ugly as sin.
• The old woman is ugly as sin, but she dresses beautifully.

rear its ugly head

Idiom(s): rear its ugly head

Theme: APPEARANCE - EVIDENCE

[for something unpleasant] to appear or become obvious after lying hidden.
• Jealousy reared its ugly head and destroyed their marriage.
• The question of money always rears its ugly head in matters of business.

big as life and twice as ugly

Idiom(s): (as) big as life AND (as) big as life and twice as ugly

Theme: SIZE

an exaggerated way of saying that a person or a thing appeared in a particular place. (Folksy. The second phrase is slang.)
• The little child just stood there as big as life and laughed very hard.
• I opened the door, and there was Tom as big as life.
• I came home and found this cat in my chair, as big as life and twice as ugly.

Ugly as a stick

(USA) If someone is as ugly as a stick, they are very ugly indeed.

ugly duckling|duckling|ugly

n. An ugly or plain child who grows up to be pretty and attractive. Mary was the ugly duckling in her family, until she grew up.

ugly

ugly
In addition to the idioms beginning with ugly, also see rear its ugly head.
* * *
- ugly as sin
- ugly customer
- ugly duckling

ugly customer

ugly customer
An ill-natured or vicious individual, as in Watch out for Charlie when he's drinking; he can be an ugly customer. This phrase uses ugly in the sense of “mean” or “dangerous.” [c. 1800]