"He was rough as guts but had a heart of gold."
Where "Rough as Guts" Comes From
Fits the classic Aussie formula of "[adjective] as [vivid noun]," in the same family as "flat out like a lizard drinking" — "guts" simply supplies the crude, unpolished image the phrase is going for.
It's an earthy, no-nonsense turn of phrase, in keeping with the rest of Australian slang's fondness for colourful comparisons over plain description.
How Aussies Actually Use It
Often paired, as in this example, with a warmer follow-up like "but had a heart of gold" — the phrase describes someone's manner rather than passing real judgement on their character.
It's used just as often about a job, a building, or a plan as it is about a person, always pointing to something crude but functional.
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