అడుగు తప్పితే అరవై ఆరు గుణాలు.

adugu tappite aravai aru gunalu.

Translation

If a step is missed, sixty-six qualities emerge.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe how people's character and behavior can drastically change when they face a downfall or make a mistake. It suggests that a single slip in conduct or status can reveal many hidden, often negative, traits or lead to numerous accusations and character flaws being attributed to a person.

Related Phrases

If a step is missed, a lightning strike is avoided.

This expression is used to signify a narrow escape from a major disaster or a life-threatening situation. It suggests that a small change in timing or a slight physical shift saved someone from a great calamity.

Old age causes the mind to wander, resulting in three traits.

This expression refers to the onset of senility or second childhood. It suggests that as people reach extreme old age, their mental faculties decline and they often display behaviors similar to those of a child: stubbornness, irritability, and dependency.

When sixty years have passed, dotage.

This proverb is used to describe the onset of senility or behavioral changes in old age. It suggests that when a person reaches sixty, they may lose their mental clarity, become forgetful, or act in an eccentric and unpredictable manner due to their aging mind.

Sixty-six pairs of shoes for the father's earnings.

This proverb describes a situation where the expenditure far exceeds the income. It is used to mock someone who spends extravagantly or has too many dependents/requirements compared to the meager amount they actually earn.

There are sixty-six varieties of delicacies right inside the cow's udder.

This proverb highlights the immense value and versatility of milk provided by a cow. It implies that from a single source (milk), one can create a vast multitude of foods, sweets, and nutrients, emphasizing the cow's sacred and provider status in Indian culture.

Whether there are three hundred and sixty-four knots of hair or thirty-six small buns, it is all the same.

This expression is used to describe a situation where there is no real difference between the choices or outcomes presented, despite how they are counted or categorized. It implies that a large quantity of something disorganized or fragmented is ultimately equal to a smaller quantity of something similarly messy; basically saying 'it's all the same mess' or 'six of one, half a dozen of the other'.

Like sixty-six tricks played against a mother-in-law who is making pancakes.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to outsmart or deceive a person who is already very experienced, clever, or cunning in their own right. It signifies meeting an expert with even more complex maneuvers or excessive strategies.

He is a mere twenty-five, twenty-six.

This is a sarcastic expression used to describe someone who is lazy, useless, or good-for-nothing. The numbers 25 and 26 don't hold a mathematical value here but colloquially represent a person who lacks purpose or effectiveness.

When extreme old age is reached there are three castes. The distinctive rules of the three castes are no longer observed. Dotage.

This proverb is used to describe the physical deterioration that comes with extreme old age. It suggests that once youth and middle age are gone, the body shows three signs: white hair, white cataracts in the eyes, and pale or colorless skin/teeth. It is used to comment on the inevitable physical changes in the final stages of life.

Sixty-six types of delicacies are found right in the cow's udder.

This proverb highlights the supreme importance of milk and dairy products in traditional Indian cuisine. It suggests that milk is the fundamental source or 'mother' of all great food varieties, implying that if one has milk, they have the essence of all nutritious and delicious preparations.