ugly stick
Mythical hideous wand
A humorous imaginary object used to explain extreme unattractiveness.
Someone who is very ugly is said to have been hit with the ugly stick or beaten with the ugly stick, as if their appearance resulted from a physical assault.
The phrase appears almost exclusively in this fixed expression, usually for comic effect or casual insult.
Unattractive in appearance
- plainBasic and unremarkable
- unsightlyUnpleasant to look at
- unattractiveNot pleasing aesthetically
- backwoodsRemote, undeveloped rural area
colloquialism · insult · put-down · teasing · appearance · looks
Flat fish, poisonous tail
- catfishBarbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
- burbotFreshwater cod relative
- bottom feederCreature eating from substrate
- freshwaterNon-saline aquatic environment
Great Lakes · angling · catch · bait · tackle · rod · reel · sportfish
homely
Unattractive in appearance
- plainBasic and unremarkable
- unsightlyUnpleasant to look at
- unattractiveNot pleasing aesthetically
backwoods · colloquialism · insult · put-down · teasing · appearance · looks
stingray
Flat fish, poisonous tail
- catfishBarbeled freshwater bottom-feeder
- burbotFreshwater cod relative
- bottom feederCreature eating from substrate
freshwater · Great Lakes · angling · catch · bait · tackle · rod · reel · sportfish · gamefish