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A diamond in the rough

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.

Examples

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?

Worldwide.

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About the Author

Gary Martin is a writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.
A diamond in the rough

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