అన్నెం పున్నెం తినడానికి ఆలితమ్ముడు, అబ్బ తద్దినం పెట్టడానికి మగని తమ్ముడు

annem punnem tinadaniki alitammudu, abba taddinam pettadaniki magani tammudu

Translation

Wife's brother for eating and enjoying, husband's brother for performing the father's funeral rites.

Meaning

This proverb describes a double standard or opportunistic behavior where one chooses specific relatives based on convenience. It highlights a scenario where a woman prefers her own brother (ali tammudu) to share in food and festivities, but expects her husband's brother (magani tammudu) to take on the difficult, somber, or obligatory tasks like religious rituals. It is used to criticize those who seek out people for pleasure but delegate responsibilities to others.

Related Phrases

A sneeze has a younger brother, and a yawn has an elder brother.

This is a traditional Telugu saying used when someone sneezes or yawns repeatedly. It suggests that these actions rarely occur just once; if you sneeze once, another is likely to follow (the 'younger brother'), and if you yawn, more are soon to come (the 'elder brother').

A tankam for arranging the match, and a pagani for the actual union.

This proverb refers to commission-based dealings or middleman fees. It describes a situation where a person demands payment at every stage of a process—once for making the introduction or arrangement (Tankam), and another for the successful completion of the task (Pagani). It is often used to critique people who are excessively greedy or those who demand multiple bribes/fees for a single outcome.

Crop is the younger brother of dairy farming

This proverb highlights the interdependence of agriculture and animal husbandry. It suggests that where there is dairy (cattle), a good harvest naturally follows, as they complement each other's success and provide a holistic livelihood for a farmer.

Like crying and getting a death anniversary performed.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone performs a task or fulfills an obligation with great reluctance, lack of interest, or while complaining, rather than doing it willingly or happily. It implies that the person is doing something just for the sake of finishing it, often ruining the spirit of the activity.

The wild eggplant is the younger brother of the brinjal.

This proverb is used to describe two people or things that are very similar in nature, character, or appearance. Just as a brinjal and a wild eggplant belong to the same family and look alike, it implies that someone shares the same (often negative) traits as their associate or sibling.

It is enough for what you sang and what I heard; for my nodding, just leave the Tambura and go.

This expression is used sarcastically to describe a situation where someone's performance or work is so bad that the listener/observer wants them to stop immediately. It implies that the effort was a waste of time and the 'appreciation' (nodding) was merely a courtesy, so the person should just hand over their tools and leave before causing further annoyance.

A copper coin for the person who left, a gold coin for the one who brought them together.

This proverb is used to highlight unfair or disproportionate rewards. It describes a situation where the person who actually did the work or was involved gets a very small amount (Agani), while the mediator or the one who arranged the deal gets a much larger reward (Tankam). It is often applied to middlemen taking excessive commissions.

The younger brother of him who is born, the elder brother of him who is about to be born. Said jokingly of a dwarf.

This proverb describes someone who is in a middle position or a mediator. It refers to a person who has experienced both sides of a situation, making them versatile or uniquely positioned between two generations or two different states of being.

Like the younger brother of the person performing the death anniversary ritual.

This expression is used to describe someone who stands around idly or avoids work while others are busy with a significant task. In traditional rituals, the person performing the ceremony is busy, but the younger brother often has no specific role and simply watches, signifying laziness or lack of responsibility during a time of action.

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.