అమ్మి చిన్న కమ్మ పెద్ద
ammi chinna kamma pedda
The girl is small, but her earring is big.
This expression is used to describe a situation where an accessory, a side issue, or a minor detail overshadows the main person or subject. It is often applied when someone wears ornaments or clothes that are disproportionately large for their stature, or when the overhead costs of a project exceed the actual value of the project itself.
Related Phrases
చిన్న ఇంట్లో పెద్ద కాపురం
chinna intlo pedda kapuram
Big household in a small house
This expression is used to describe a situation where a large family is living in a very small space. It highlights the struggles of overcrowding or managing extensive responsibilities with very limited resources.
కండ్లు పెద్దవి, కడుపు చిన్నది.
kandlu peddavi, kadupu chinnadi.
Eyes are big, stomach is small.
This expression refers to a person whose eyes are bigger than their stomach. It describes a situation where someone takes or orders a lot of food because it looks appealing, but they cannot actually finish it all because they get full quickly. It is used to caution against greed or wastefulness.
చిన్న నోటికి పెద్ద మాట
chinna notiki pedda mata
Big words for a small mouth
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone (often a younger person or someone in a subordinate position) speaks in a manner that is overly ambitious, arrogant, or beyond their age and status. It is often used as a mild rebuke or a way to highlight that someone is talking beyond their experience or authority.
చిన్నక్కను పెద్దక్కను, పెద్దక్కను చిన్నక్కను చేసినట్లు
chinnakkanu peddakkanu, peddakkanu chinnakkanu chesinatlu
Like making the younger sister the older one, and the older sister the younger one.
This expression is used to describe a situation where things are completely mixed up, shuffled, or inverted. It refers to a state of total confusion or an illogical reversal of roles or order.
రాజు కన్నా చిన్న, మంత్రి కన్నా పెద్ద.
raju kanna chinna, mantri kanna pedda.
Smaller than the king, but bigger than the minister.
This expression is used to describe a middle-ground position or an intermediary status where one is subordinate to the top authority but holds power over others. It is often used as a riddle answer for 'the finger' (the middle finger is next to the forefinger) or in a social context to describe middle management or individuals who are stuck between two different levels of hierarchy.
విస్తరి చిన్నది, వీకమ్మ చెయ్యి పెద్దది
vistari chinnadi, vikamma cheyyi peddadi
The leaf plate is small, but Veekamma's hand is large
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is overly generous or extravagant despite having very limited resources. It refers to a person serving more than what the plate (or the budget) can actually hold, highlighting a mismatch between one's means and their actions.
చిన్నత్త చిన్న పిశాచి, పెద్దత్త పెద్ద పిశాచి
chinnatta chinna pishachi, peddatta pedda pishachi
Younger mother-in-law is a small ghost, elder mother-in-law is a big ghost.
This proverb is used to describe a difficult situation where both available options or people are troublesome, regardless of their status or seniority. It specifically highlights the common domestic trope of friction with mothers-in-law (or aunts), suggesting that both are equally difficult to deal with, differing only in the scale of their nuisance.
పెద్దమ్మా నీ వెక్కడికంటే, చిన్నమ్మా నీ వెనుకే ఉంటానన్నదట
peddamma ni vekkadikante, chinnamma ni venuke untanannadata
When asked where the elder sister is going, the younger sister said she would be right behind her.
This proverb describes a situation where one problem or misfortune is immediately followed by another, or where an unwelcome person follows another. It is often used to refer to a cycle of poverty, bad luck, or persistent troubles that refuse to leave. In Hindu mythology, Peddamma (Alakshmi) represents misfortune and Chinnamma follows her, symbolizing that when one hardship arrives, more are likely to follow.
చిన్నమ్మ సింహద్వారాన వస్తే, పెద్దమ్మ పెరటిద్వారాన పోతుంది
chinnamma simhadvarana vaste, peddamma peratidvarana potundi
If the younger sister (Chinnamma) enters through the main gate, the elder sister (Peddamma) leaves through the back door.
In Telugu culture, 'Chinnamma' (Lakshmi) represents prosperity and wealth, while 'Peddamma' (Alakshmi/Jyeshtha Devi) represents poverty and misfortune. This proverb means that when hard work, good fortune, or prosperity enters a home, poverty and misfortune automatically depart. It is used to describe a positive turning point in one's life or household.
చిన్నమ్మకు మీసాలుంటే చిన్నాయన
chinnammaku misalunte chinnayana
If the aunt had a mustache, she would be the uncle.
This proverb is used to point out the pointlessness of 'if' and 'but' scenarios that involve impossible conditions. It suggests that speculating about hypothetical changes to fundamental facts is a waste of time and does not change reality.