Selfishness

This proverb highlights that an enemy or a person with bad intentions will not stop causing trouble just because one particular attempt failed. It is used to caution someone that a small failure for an aggressor doesn't mean the danger has passed for the victim.

This proverb describes a person's extreme selfishness or greed. It refers to someone who tries to gain a small, petty benefit from a catastrophic situation or someone else's misfortune, instead of helping or showing empathy.

This expression describes a person who lives in luxury or abundance without having to work for it. Just as a bandicoot lives under a grain store (gaade) and eats the fallen grain effortlessly, it refers to someone who secretly or comfortably exploits a resource for their own benefit.

This proverb is used to tell people to mind their own business or to highlight that a particular piece of news or event has no relevance or benefit to the person reacting to it. It mocks those who get unnecessarily excited or involved in matters that do not concern them.

This expression describes a situation where one person provides all the materials or resources for a task, but the other person (often someone in power or an entitled person) still expects the provider to do all the work or serve them. It is used to mock someone's extreme laziness or their habit of taking others for granted.

This proverb describes an individual's delusion of grandeur or self-importance. It is used to mock someone who believes that a collective or natural process depends entirely on them, implying that the world will stop functioning without their contribution.

A story is told of an old woman who fancied that the crowing of her cock woke the whole village, and that all the inhabitants were dependent on her for fire. Daylight will come, though the cock do not crow. ( Danah, )*

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is extremely demanding or fickle. It implies that if things go their way, they will celebrate (a wedding), but if they don't get what they want, they will create chaos or break relationships (crackers/explosions). It describes an 'all or nothing' or 'my way or the highway' attitude.

This proverb describes a lazy or evasive person who enjoys the benefits (the meal) but makes up creative excuses (fear of the dark/scary times) to avoid doing the actual work or responsibility associated with it.

This expression describes the irrational and self-destructive nature of extreme jealousy. It refers to someone who is so consumed by envy of another person's success or prosperity that they sabotage their own progress or well-being out of spite or sheer frustration.

An envious man waxes lean with the fatness of his neighbour. Envy is its own torturer. ( Danish ? ) * Wer einen lobt in Praesentia und schimpft in Absentia, den hole die Pestilentia. † Avindayg er sin egen Böddel.

This proverb describes a hypocritical or subjective attitude where a person treats others harshly or performs painful tasks on others (like a doctor or a critic) but becomes overly sensitive or self-pitying when they face the same situation. It highlights how people often lack empathy until they experience pain themselves, or how they perceive their own suffering as unique and more significant than that of others.

This proverb describes someone who sets ideal or impossible conditions before committing to a task. It highlights the tendency to blame external factors or demand perfect resources to justify one's willingness to work, implying that with such perfect comforts, anyone would be willing to do the job.

This expression describes a manipulative or extremely shrewd person who gives something of very little value (a small date seed) to gain something much more valuable (a large palmyra seed). It is used to caution against people who perform small favors only to demand or extract much larger benefits in return.

Íta is the wild date ( Phoenix Sylvestris ). Tāḍu is the Palmyra ( Borassus Flabelliformis ). Offering a gift of slight value for the purpose of gaining a rich present. Throw in a sprat to catch a salmon.

This expression is used to describe an extremely stingy or miserly person. It suggests that a person is so greedy or manipulative (traditionally associated with the stereotype of goldsmiths skimming off gold) that their food or wealth is considered cursed or tainted, to the point that even scavengers like crows would avoid it.

This expression refers to an extremely stingy, ruthless, or destructive person who leaves nothing behind. It describes someone who exploits a resource or situation to the very last bit without any regard for future use or mercy, often used to characterize a person's extreme greed or harsh nature.

This expression describes extreme treachery or betrayal. It is used to refer to someone who receives hospitality or help from another person but then proceeds to plot against them or cause them harm.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person tries to exploit someone else's tragedy for their own selfish gain. It highlights extreme opportunism and a lack of empathy, focusing on profit while another person is suffering a devastating loss.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone rejects or demeans a generous offer or a valuable favor simply because it was offered freely or easily. It highlights human nature's tendency to undervalue things that come without struggle or to find petty excuses to decline an act of kindness.

This proverb describes a situation where someone is determined to find fault or be aggressive regardless of the outcome or the effort put in. It is used to characterize people who are impossible to please or those who use any excuse—even contradictory ones—to harass or criticize others.

This expression is used to describe a person who is habitually prone to complaining or creating a ruckus regardless of the circumstances. It suggests that for some people, misery or noisy behavior is a constant trait that doesn't change even in the face of significant disasters or personal loss.

This proverb describes how a person's needs and desires change based on their current state. When someone is satisfied or has plenty, they no longer value things that are otherwise considered precious or delicious. It is used to remark on people who show lack of interest or find faults in something good because they are already satiated or over-privileged.