moni kakku päältä kaunis, vaan on silkkoa sisältä

Finnish

Etymology

From the 33rd poem in Kalevala, Finland's national epic:

Moni on kakku päältä kaunis,
kuorelta kovin sileä,
vaan on silkkoa sisässä,
akanoita alla kuoren.

Many a cake is beautiful on the surface,
smooth is its crust,
but there's only phloem inside,
husks under the crust.

Proverb

moni kakku päältä kaunis, vaan on silkkoa sisältä

1. all that glitters is not gold (sometimes things, plans, promises etc. that look good on the first sight turn out to be wretched)

Derived terms

• moni kakku päältä kaunis