ఆడలేక మద్దెల ఓటి అన్నట్లు

adaleka maddela oti annatlu

Translation

Like saying the drum is broken because one cannot dance.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a person who lacks skill or fails at a task but blames their tools, environment, or others for their failure. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'A bad workman always blames his tools'.

Related Phrases

Like an elephant pouring sand on its own head

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone brings trouble upon themselves or ruins their own reputation through their own foolish actions, despite having power or status. Just as an elephant takes a bath and immediately throws dust on itself, it refers to self-destructive behavior.

Like hanging a life that was staying still.

This expression is used when someone unnecessarily invites trouble or complicates a peaceful situation by taking an uncalled-for action. It describes the act of creating a problem where none existed before.

Like pouring water into one's own stove when the neighbor is flourishing.

This proverb describes the height of envy and spite. It refers to people who are so jealous of others' success (greenery/prosperity) that they self-destruct or stop their own progress out of sheer malice or depression caused by seeing others thrive.

Pouring soil/mud into the food one is eating.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone knowingly or unknowingly ruins their own source of livelihood, income, or a beneficial situation. It signifies self-sabotage or the act of destroying one's own means of survival.

When an elephant goes into musth, it throws dust on its own head.

This proverb describes how an arrogant or intoxicated person often brings about their own downfall or ruin. Just as a rogue elephant in musth (a state of aggression) blindly tosses dirt on itself, a person blinded by pride or power will make foolish decisions that harm their own reputation and well-being.

Like a dancer who says the drum is bad because she cannot dance.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks skill or makes a mistake, but blames their tools, environment, or others instead of admitting their own incompetence. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'A bad workman always blames his tools.'

A dancer who cannot dance blames the drum (or beats the drum).

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks skill or fails at a task and tries to shift the blame onto their tools, circumstances, or others. It is similar to the English proverb: 'A bad workman always quarrels with his tools.'

If you pour a mana in the soil, they will pour an idumu in the house.

This proverb highlights the abundance of nature and the rewards of hard work in farming. A 'mana' and 'idumu' are traditional measures of volume, with an idumu being significantly larger. It means that if a farmer sows even a small measure of seeds into the earth, nature returns a much larger harvest into their home. It is used to encourage investment and labor.

Like a mortar going to a drum to complain about its woes.

This proverb is used when someone seeks help from a person who is in an even worse situation or who suffers more than themselves. In a traditional setting, a mortar (rolu) is hit with a pestle occasionally, but a drum (maddela) is beaten on both sides constantly. It signifies the irony of complaining to someone who has greater troubles.

Like a woman who cannot dance saying the drum is crooked.

This proverb is used to describe a person who blames their tools, environment, or other people for their own lack of skill or failure. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'A bad workman always blames his tools.'