Meaning: Appearances can be deceptive; physical beauty is superficial (definition).


Example: Her words not so gracious as her appearance, we learned her beauty is only skin deep.
Origins: First use attributed to Sir Thomas Overbury, 1613, 1856. (Source.)
Rewrites:
beauty is a blemish of the skin beauty doesn’t reach to the bone beauty is a tattoo grace is an outer garment only once the skin breaks the beauty bleeds away glamour is but a mask loveliness is a linen few care to turn down Discussion: Once again, we break this idiom down into its essential meaning to create its rewrites.