అమ్మ మంచిదే కానీ తెడ్డు చెడ్డది

This expression emphasizes that if you speak politely and treat others with respect, the people around you will respond with kindness and support. It is used to teach that one's social environment is often a reflection of their own behavior and speech.

This proverb suggests that one's perception and outcome depend on their mindset or intentions. If your thoughts and attitude (chittam) are good, even unpleasant situations or bitter things (chedu) will result in a positive experience or be perceived as beneficial. It is often used to emphasize the importance of having a positive outlook and pure intentions.

This expression is used to describe someone who might appear to be a good person at heart or in appearance, but possesses specific habits, a temperament, or a fatal flaw that leads to trouble or destruction. It highlights the contradiction between a person's basic identity and their problematic behavior.

This expression describes hypocrisy or a situation where someone talks very politely or makes grand promises but acts in a harmful or contrary manner. It is used to describe people whose actions do not match their virtuous words.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is inherently kind or well-intentioned, but the resources they provide or the way they allocate things is insufficient or harsh. It specifically refers to how a mother loves her child, but when she uses the ladle (teddu) to serve food, the portions might be small or the discipline might be firm. It is applied to people who are good at heart but stingy or strict in their actions.

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 is used to describe someone who is stubbornly biased or overly attached to their own belongings, ideas, or people, even when they are clearly inferior or artificial. It highlights a sense of blind loyalty or foolish pride where one refuses to acknowledge the reality of a situation.

This proverb emphasizes that the quality of the origin or foundation determines the quality of the outcome. It is used to describe how good upbringing leads to good character, or how proper planning and high-quality inputs lead to successful results.

This proverb describes a situation where people harm themselves more than others through their stubbornness or ego. A son-in-law staying away out of anger loses the hospitality/respect he would have received, and a daughter refusing food to protest only ends up hungry and weak. It is used to advise against cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

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.