" A diamond in the rough (a.k.a rough diamond ) "
Meaning:
A person or thing having good underlying qualities while appearing to be coarse and unpolished.
Example:
He’d been in jail several times for fraud but when he found my lost wallet he returned it. A rough diamond if there ever was one.
Where did it originate?:
The United Kingdom.
Where is it used?:
Hear the idiom spoken: