అరవై ఏళ్లయ్యాయి, చదువుకోకుండా మొత్తుకుంటానా అన్నాడట.

aravai ellayyayi, chaduvukokunda mottukuntana annadata.

Translation

Sixty years have passed; am I to do without learning? An ironical speech. An old dog will learn no tricks.

Meaning

This is a sarcastic expression used to describe people who use their age or seniority to pretend they are knowledgeable or wise, even when they are clearly ignorant. It highlights the irony of someone claiming that their advanced age is proof of their education or competence, despite showing no actual skill.

Notes

* Bha pueri senes.

Related Phrases

Before being educated he said 'pasulu' (cattle), and after being educated he said 'pachulu'.

This proverb is used to mock someone who tries to show off their education or status by artificially changing their pronunciation, but still gets it wrong. It refers to a person who, while illiterate, correctly called cattle 'pasulu', but after getting an education, tried to sound sophisticated by saying 'pachulu' (which is incorrect), proving that their learning is superficial and they have only acquired pretentiousness rather than true knowledge.

If you see he's not there, catch him and don't let him go. Said by a cowardly man to another with reference to a thief.

This is a humorous proverb used to describe someone giving nonsensical, contradictory, or impossible instructions. It mocks people who demand results while imposing conditions that make the task impossible, or those who speak in riddles that lack practical logic.

" O grandfather! do you know your Sandhyâ,” [ asked a boy ]; " If you who have just learnt it don't know it, can I who learnt it sixty years ago remember it?" [ replied the old man. ]

This proverb is used to mock people who use their age or the passage of time as an excuse for their ignorance or for forgetting basic skills. It highlights a situation where someone who should be experienced and knowledgeable tries to justify their lack of knowledge by comparing themselves to the younger generation's failures.

When sixty years have passed, dotage.

This proverb is used to describe the onset of senility or behavioral changes in old age. It suggests that when a person reaches sixty, they may lose their mental clarity, become forgetful, or act in an eccentric and unpredictable manner due to their aging mind.

After sixty years had passed, he cried Ammâ (mother). Second childhood. Old men are twice children. (Latin.)

This expression is used to describe someone who starts learning the basics or realizes their responsibilities far too late in life. It highlights an action that is extremely delayed or untimely, suggesting that the time to do something has already passed.

For ten years they were children, for thirty years the husband disliked the wife, and for sixty years the wife disliked the husband. Applied to an unprofitable and unhappy life.

This proverb is used to describe a wasted life or a long period of time spent in procrastination and excuses. It humorously illustrates how an entire century (100 years) can pass by blaming others or circumstances—60 years blaming the wife, 30 years blaming the husband, and 10 years in childhood—without ever achieving anything meaningful.

When a grandson asked 'Grandfather, do you know how to perform the Sandhya prayer?', the grandfather replied 'If you who are studying now don't know it, how would I know it when I studied sixty years ago?'

This proverb is used to mock those who make excuses for their ignorance or forgetfulness by blaming the passage of time. It highlights the irony where someone expects an elder to remember something that even the younger person, who is currently learning, has failed to grasp. It can also refer to situations where knowledge is lost across generations due to lack of practice.

Before studying he said 'Vara Vara', and after studying he said 'Vada Vada'.

This proverb is used to mock someone whose education or learning has not improved their wisdom or has actually made them more confused or foolish. It describes a situation where despite putting in the effort to learn, the person remains ignorant or produces nonsensical results, often misapplying their knowledge.

I am sixty years old; if I don't read (or learn) now, will I be rolling in the mud?

This expression is used to signify that it is never too late to learn or do something important. It implies that age should not be a barrier to self-improvement or education, and suggests that without continuous learning, one's life or intellect might go to waste.

Will he not die of studying once he turns sixty!

This is a sarcastic expression used to mock someone who starts learning something or attempts to change their behavior far too late in life. It implies that the person wasted their youth and that their current efforts are futile or ridiculous given their age.