ఆలు చచ్చినవానికి మనుముపోరాదు, వండుకొని తినేవానికి వండిపెట్టరాదు
alu chachchinavaniki manumuporadu, vandukoni tinevaniki vandipettaradu
Do not suggest a second marriage to a widower; do not offer to cook for one who can cook for himself.
This proverb highlights the importance of boundary-setting and the futility of offering unwanted help or interference. It suggests that someone who has already experienced a situation (like a widower) or is self-sufficient (like one who cooks) does not need unsolicited advice or assistance that might complicate their current state of peace or routine.
Related Phrases
ఇల్లు ఇచ్చినవానికి మజ్జిగ పోసినవానికి మంచిలేదు
illu ichchinavaniki majjiga posinavaniki manchiledu
There is no gratitude for the one who gave a house or for the one who served buttermilk.
This proverb highlights the irony of human ingratitude. It suggests that people often fail to show appreciation or give credit even to those who have provided significant help (like a home) or basic hospitality (like buttermilk). It is used when someone's kindness is met with indifference or negativity.
ఇచ్చేవానికి పత్రమూ వద్దు, చచ్చేవానికి మందూ వద్దు.
ichchevaniki patramu vaddu, chachchevaniki mandu vaddu.
You need not take a bond from a man who is willing to pay, nor administer medicine to one who has made up his mind to die.
This proverb highlights the futility of certain actions in specific circumstances. It suggests that a truly generous person will give without requiring formal documentation or legal proof, and similarly, no amount of medicine can save someone whose death is certain. It is used to describe situations where rules or remedies become irrelevant due to the inherent nature of the person or the inevitability of the outcome.
వంగిన వాని కింద మరీ వంగితే, పట్టెడలు తగులుతాయి.
vangina vani kinda mari vangite, pattedalu tagulutayi.
If you bend even lower under someone who is already bent, your joints will be hit.
This proverb warns against excessive submissiveness or trying to be overly humble with someone who is already yielding. It implies that being too accommodating or sycophantic can lead to unnecessary trouble or physical/metaphorical injury. It is used to advise people to maintain their dignity and boundaries.
బీదవానికి మాట ఇయ్యరాదు, కలిగినవానికి చోటు ఇయ్యరాదు
bidavaniki mata iyyaradu, kaliginavaniki chotu iyyaradu
Do not give your word to a poor man, and do not give space to a wealthy man.
This proverb advises caution in social and financial dealings. If you make a promise to a poor person and fail to keep it, their despair may lead to bitterness or social shame for you. Conversely, if you give a wealthy or powerful person space (or a foothold in your affairs/property), they may use their influence to eventually usurp or dominate you.
చచ్చినవాని కండ్లు చారడేసి
chachchinavani kandlu charadesi
The eyes of a dead person are as large as a palm.
This proverb is used to describe how people tend to exaggerate the qualities, virtues, or features of someone or something only after they are gone or no longer available. It highlights the human tendency to glorify the past or the deceased, often inflating the truth.
అప్పులవాడిని నమ్ముకొని అంగడికిపోరాదు, మిండణ్ణి నమ్ముకొని జాతరకుపోరాదు.
appulavadini nammukoni angadikiporadu, mindanni nammukoni jatarakuporadu.
Do not go to the market relying on a debtor, and do not go to a festival relying on a lover.
This proverb emphasizes the importance of self-reliance and the danger of depending on unreliable sources. Relying on someone who owes you money (a debtor) to fund your shopping at a market is risky as they may fail to pay. Similarly, relying on a secret lover for protection or company at a public fair is unwise as their commitment is often unstable or hidden. It serves as a warning against putting one's trust in people who lack accountability or official obligation.
చచ్చినవాని పెండ్లికి వచ్చినంత కట్నము.
chachchinavani pendliki vachchinanta katnamu.
Any quantity of presents must suffice at a dead man's marriage. When a marriage takes place, presents of cloths are sent to the bride and bridegroom by their relations. Return gifts of about equal value are made shortly after the marriage. Should the bridegroom, however, die during the ceremonies, no presents are returned, and no complaints are therefore made regarding the value of those received.
This expression is used to describe a situation where one should be content with whatever little benefit or payment they receive in a hopeless or lost situation. Since a dead man cannot marry, any dowry received is an unexpected bonus from a failed endeavor.
మాట్లాడేవానికి వినేవానికి అర్థం కానిదే వేదాంతం
matladevaniki vinevaniki artham kanide vedantam
Philosophy is that which neither the speaker nor the listener understands.
This is a humorous and satirical expression used to describe complex, abstract, or overly intellectual talk that lacks clarity. It suggests that when a conversation becomes so convoluted that neither the person speaking nor the person listening knows what is going on, it is often pretentiously labeled as 'Vedanta' (philosophy).
తల్లి పిల్లవన్నెకాదు, వండిపెట్ట దిక్కులేదు.
talli pillavannekadu, vandipetta dikkuledu.
The mother is not young/beautiful anymore, and there is no one else to cook and serve.
This proverb describes a helpless or pathetic situation where the person who usually manages things (represented by the mother) is either too old, sick, or incapable, and there is no alternative support system available. It is used to highlight a state of total neglect or lack of resources.
చచ్చేవాడికి తమ్ముడు, పుట్టేవాడికి అన్న
chachchevadiki tammudu, puttevadiki anna
Younger brother to the one dying, elder brother to the one being born
This expression describes a person who is in a middle-aged or transitional stage of life. It is often used to refer to someone who is neither too young nor too old, bridging the gap between generations, or someone who is an experienced adult who has seen both the end of one era and the start of another.