అగ్నిలో ఒక కాలు, గంధంలో ఇంకొక కాలు ఉంచి తగవు తీర్చినట్లు

This is a traditional saying describing a small, ideal family structure. It suggests that a son is needed to inherit and look after the family assets (property), while a daughter is desired to fulfill the emotional longing and affection within the family.

This expression is used to describe an action that worsens an already volatile or difficult situation. Just as pouring ghee (clarified butter) makes a fire flare up more intensely, this phrase refers to someone adding 'fuel to the fire' by making a person's anger or a conflict much worse.

This expression is used to describe showing partiality or unfair discrimination. It refers to a situation where two people or groups are treated differently—one with harshness (lime/sunnam, which burns) and the other with kindness (butter/venna, which soothes).

This expression is used to describe a person who stands out due to their unique talent, beauty, or virtue in a group of ordinary or inferior people. It highlights excellence amidst mediocrity.

This expression is used to describe a situation where something pure, auspicious, or beautiful is ruined by the addition of something foul, inferior, or inappropriate. It is often used when a great piece of work or a positive atmosphere is spoiled by a single bad element or a rude remark.

This expression is used to describe a situation where people or objects are constantly moving and never settling down in one place. Just as spindles (kadullu) are pointed and thin, they keep shifting and rolling when placed in a container, making it impossible to keep them steady or organized. It is often used to refer to hyperactive children or a restless group of people.

This expression is used to describe a situation where two parties fight over something, and a third party who steps in to mediate ends up taking the entire benefit for themselves. It originates from a fable where a monkey, while trying to divide a piece of bread equally between two cats, eats the whole thing bit by bit under the guise of balancing the portions.

Swindling others under pretence of arbitration.

This proverb describes extreme envy or a toxic competitive mindset. It refers to a person who is so consumed by their own lack and, more destructively, by others' success, that they end up causing their own total ruin. It is used to criticize those who cannot tolerate the prosperity of others.

This expression describes a situation where someone blindly rushes into a dangerous situation or self-destruction without realizing the consequences. It is used to signify a fatal mistake or an inevitable doom caused by one's own impulsive actions, similar to the English idiom 'like a moth to a flame'.

This expression is used to describe showing partiality or unfair discrimination. It refers to a situation where two people or things are treated differently despite being equal, with one receiving harsh treatment (lime/caustic) and the other receiving soft, preferential treatment (butter).