In English
“the alligator lays eggs but it's not a fowl”
Meaning
'Alligator lay egg, but him nuh fowl' — the alligator lays eggs, but that does not make it a fowl. Doing one thing that resembles another does not change what you truly are, the proverb observes: appearances and surface similarities can deceive, so do not be fooled into mistaking one thing for another by a shared trait. Just because the crocodile, like the hen, lays eggs, it is no bird, and the saying warns against judging by outward likeness, reminding that a creature's, or a person's, real nature is not changed by a superficial resemblance.
Examples
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Him dress rich but him broke; alligator lay egg, but him nuh fowl.
He dresses rich but he's broke; looking the part doesn't make it so.
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She smile inna yuh face but she nuh yuh friend — alligator lay egg, but him nuh fowl.
She smiles in your face but she's not your friend — resemblance isn't reality.
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Because him talk big nuh mean him have it; alligator lay egg, but him nuh fowl.
Just because he talks big doesn't mean he has it; don't be fooled by appearances.
Origin
A natural image: both alligators and fowls lay eggs, yet they are nothing alike — a figure for how a shared trait can mask a fundamental difference, warning against being deceived by appearances.
How it’s used
Used to warn that surface similarity or show does not reveal the true nature of a person or thing.