big enough and ugly enough

• big and ugly enough

From the notion that youth, especially children, have a more beautiful and endearing appearance, thus maturity ought to make one not only bigger, but uglier too; though, in some cases, the opposite is true (see ugly duckling and its associated fairy tale, which illustrate such a case).

• Audio (US):

  (file)

big enough and ugly enough

1. (informal) Mature, grown-up, old enough (with the implication that one can look after oneself and make one's own decisions).
   • 2002, Nokuthula Mazibuko, In the Fast Lane‎^[1], →ISBN, page 59:

     Her aunt answered, 'You just go off my child. There are two young women here who are big enough and ugly enough to help me with the dishes.'

   • 2014, Maggie Caldwell, Deceitful Desires‎^[2], →ISBN, page 345:

     Don't worry – he'll come home. He's big enough and ugly enough to look after himself.

• big boy
• big girl