an 'ugly duckling' that has become a beautiful swan [=an ugly/unsuccessful person or thing that has become beautiful/successful]
('informal') That dog of yours is '(as) ugly as sin'. [=very ugly]
The house is an 'ugly duckling', but it has a lot of potential.
(..) As a guy who loves a girl, I realize there's no such thing. There's no sunset." "There's just now, and there's just the two of us, which can be scary fucking ugly sometimes. But if you close your eyes and listen for the whisper of your heart, if you simply keep trying and never, ever give up, (..)2014 TvShow: Californication Title: Grace Season: 7 Episode 12