అత్తాంగి అలుక, బోనులో ఎలుక

This expression describes a person who is stuck in a difficult or suffocating situation with no way out. Just as a mouse struggles helplessly when it falls into a deep pot of liquid, it refers to someone being trapped in a messy problem or a dilemma where their efforts to escape only lead to further exhaustion.

This expression is used to describe a powerful, influential, or highly capable person who has become helpless, trapped, or restricted due to circumstances beyond their control. It signifies frustrated strength and the agony of being unable to act despite having great potential.

This proverb highlights that having plenty of resources or help is only useful if there is a way to manage or store them. During harvest, there is food everywhere, so having many wives to help gather food is redundant or doesn't change the mouse's basic state of abundance. It is used to describe situations where additional help or resources are unnecessary because the current environment already provides more than enough, or when someone brags about assets that don't provide a competitive advantage.

This proverb humorously highlights the typical durations of different life stages and domestic behaviors. It suggests that a wife's resentment or anger can be long-lasting (metaphorically sixty years), a husband's is relatively shorter (thirty years), and childhood is fleeting (only ten years). It is often used to comment on the enduring nature of domestic friction versus the shortness of youth.

This expression is used to suggest that if a person remains silent when a proposition is made or a question is asked, it can be interpreted as their partial consent or tacit agreement. It is similar to the Latin proverb 'Silence gives consent'.

This expression describes someone who is indispensable, highly influential, or deeply integrated into a group. Just as a tongue is essential for speech and a thread holds beads together, it refers to a person who acts as a central, reliable figure or a mediator who maintains unity and functions smoothly within a family or organization.

This expression is used to describe someone who is untrustworthy, manipulative, or frequently changes their stance. A 'black tongue' (machanaluka) metaphorically refers to someone whose words can bring misfortune or someone who lies habitually, implying that their promises or statements cannot be relied upon.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a culprit or an untrustworthy person produces a witness who is equally biased, unreliable, or under their control. It signifies a deceptive alliance where the witness is unlikely to speak the truth against the perpetrator.

This expression describes a situation where someone gets themselves into a trap or a difficult situation due to their own greed, foolishness, or lack of foresight, eventually leading to their downfall. It is used to illustrate how an individual's own actions or bad habits can lead them into an inescapable predicament.

This proverb describes a person who presents a false, prestigious image to the world while living in poor or mediocre conditions at home. It is used to critique someone who prioritizes outward show and vanity over their actual internal reality or family's well-being.