అమ్మ చెడ్డ చేటుకు ముసుగు ఒకటా?

This refers to one already spoilt spoiling all the others around. Generally, when one is in bad shape – especially, morally – one would spread one’s vice to others also. Such people should be avoided by all means.

This expression suggests that good and evil, or successes and failures, are two sides of the same coin and are both part of the divine order. It is used to console someone facing hardship, implying that just as one accepts the 'good' (right hand), they must also accept the 'bad' (left hand) as part of life's natural balance.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where two parties are involved in a shameful or failed act, but they argue over who is more at fault or who lost more dignity. It highlights the irony of trying to claim moral superiority when both parties are already compromised. It is often used to mock people who bicker over trivial differences in their shared failures.

This proverb highlights how past status leaves marks on a person. A woman who was once poor but became rich will have rough hands from previous hard labor. Conversely, a woman who was once wealthy but became poor will have stretched earlobes from years of wearing heavy gold jewelry. It is used to describe how one's history and background can be identified through subtle signs, regardless of their current situation.

This proverb emphasizes that hard work leads to fruitful results, while laziness or procrastination leads to waste and decay. It is used to motivate someone to put in effort to reap rewards rather than letting opportunities rot away.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a collaboration or a deal fails, and one party suffers a much greater loss or humiliation than the other, even though both were involved in the same act. It highlights disproportionate consequences in shared failures.

When a man asked a widow to lend him a pagoda, she said she would only do so on his paying her twenty-five per cent. discount. He complied, but never repaid the principal.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person starts making poor decisions or loses their sense of judgment when they are facing a period of misfortune or ruin. It suggests that one's intellect or character often declines when their downfall is near.

This proverb is used to describe an unnecessary or excessive level of protection or caution for something that doesn't require it. It highlights the absurdity of applying strict, holy, or delicate standards (like 'Madigudda') to mundane situations where they are ineffective or irrelevant.

This expression is used to describe an extremely critical or dangerous situation where life and death are equally possible. It is often used in the context of high-risk medical procedures, difficult childbirths, or precarious battles, signifying that while one hand prepares for a celebration or recovery (turmeric), the other prepares for a funeral (shroud).

This proverb is used to criticize excessive or unnecessary expenditure and effort on something that is already worthless or beyond repair. It highlights the irony of providing high security or maintenance to a failed venture.

* Wer da fallt, über ihm laufen alle Welt, ! Ao cas morido, todos o mordem, ‡ Cognatio movet invidiam.