ఆర్యయైనది అంబటివేళ లేచినా, గూదమాలినది కోళ్ళు కూయాగాలేచినా ఒకటే

This expression is used to describe a situation where despite one's best efforts or an early start, progress is hindered and one ends up stuck at the very beginning or a nearby obstacle. It signifies that some tasks take longer than expected regardless of preparation, or that bad luck can stall progress.

This expression is used to describe a person who is habitually slow or unorganized. Despite starting their day early (at the first crow of the rooster), they take so much time to get ready or perform tasks that the sun is already high and hot by the time they are actually out (hot enough to burn their feet). It highlights inefficiency regardless of a head start.

This proverb highlights irony and hypocrisy. It refers to people who lack resources or capability but overcompensate with empty talk or excuses. Similarly, it mocks how some people prepare an excessive variety of dishes for a funeral feast (Thaddinam) despite the occasion being one of mourning or limited means. It is used to describe someone who talks big but has nothing of substance to show.

This expression is used to describe someone who reacts with sudden, intense, and fierce anger. Just as a snake strikes back instantly and aggressively when its tail is stepped on, this phrase characterizes a person who becomes extremely provoked or defensive due to an insult or an injury.

This satirical proverb describes someone who is extremely inefficient or slow despite having plenty of time. Even though she started her chores at dawn (when the crow caws), she managed to cook poorly and was still rushing frantically to serve the meal by sunset (when the cattle return). It is used to mock people who waste time and create unnecessary chaos at the last minute.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where, despite one's best efforts or an early start, progress is hindered by repetitive obstacles or lack of real advancement. It refers to someone who starts a task early but wastes time or gets stuck at the very first stage, resulting in no significant outcome by the time they expected to be finished.

Tumma is the Acacia Arabica. Tanks are often named from the trees planted around them. The earlier the man got up the more he dilly-dallied on the strength of it, so the sun always found him at the tank, in the way to his work. Early up, and never the nearer.

This expression is used to highlight that certain natural laws or common behaviors remain the same regardless of the location or specific circumstances. It is often a retort to someone who claims that things work differently elsewhere to justify an anomaly or an excuse, emphasizing that truth or logic is universal.

This expression is used to describe a person or a thing that is completely useless or ineffective. It suggests that the presence or absence of certain actions/tools doesn't matter when the core functionality is missing. It is often used to refer to someone who is indifferent to what is happening around them or an effort that yields no result regardless of the approach.

This expression is used to describe someone who acts impulsively or starts a task immediately without any prior planning, preparation, or deliberation. It refers to a person who is always in a hurry to get things moving the moment the thought strikes them.

This proverb highlights a power struggle or an obsession with control within a household. It describes a situation where, despite an abundance of resources (a river of food), the person in authority (the mother-in-law) insists on strictly rationing it to maintain their dominance and ensure the other person remains dependent or restricted.