అత్తా అత్తా అన్నం పెట్టత్తా అంటే సున్నం పెడతానే అందట.

atta atta annam pettatta ante sunnam pedatane andata.

Translation

When requested, 'Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, please serve some food,' she replied, 'I will apply lime (chunam) instead.'

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where a person expects help or kindness but receives something harmful or insulting in return. It highlights the behavior of mean-spirited or heartless people who mock others' genuine needs or suffering instead of showing empathy.

Related Phrases

If I say 'Amudu', he says 'Temudu'; if I say 'Mother-in-law', he says 'Father-in-law'.

This proverb describes a person who is intentionally argumentative or contradictory. It is used to mock someone who habitually gives opposite or nonsensical replies to whatever is said, making communication impossible.

When a daughter-in-law asked her mother-in-law if she should give birth to a son, the mother-in-law replied, 'Would I ever say no?'

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone asks for permission or proposes something that is obviously beneficial or desirable to the listener. It highlights a rhetorical question where the answer is an emphatic 'yes' because the outcome favors everyone involved.

When a starving woman was given stale food, she told the neighbors that her mother-in-law served her a royal feast.

This proverb describes a person who is so deprived or desperate that even the smallest, most insignificant favor feels like a grand gesture. It is used to highlight situations where someone's extreme need makes them overly grateful for something of very low value, or when someone tries to cover up their poor circumstances by glorifying a meager offering.

Like giving only half and calling oneself a paternal aunt.

This proverb describes someone who does a half-hearted or incomplete favor but demands the full respect or status associated with a close relative or a great benefactor. It is used to mock people who are stingy or perform duties poorly yet expect high praise and recognition for their supposed 'generosity'.

When lime was applied to improve the color, it resulted in a lump for the mother.

This proverb describes a situation where an attempt to improve something or make it beautiful actually ruins it or makes it worse. It is used when a well-intentioned action results in a complete mess or a loss of original value.

When asked 'What's the status, Kota?', he replied 'The same old game'.

This proverb is used to describe a situation or a person that never changes despite the passage of time or changing circumstances. It signifies stagnation, a lack of progress, or someone sticking to their old, often repetitive or unproductive ways.

Like applying lime to someone who asked for food

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone asks for help or a basic necessity, but instead of being helped, they are treated cruelly or given something harmful. It highlights the act of adding insult to injury or responding to a genuine plea with a malicious action.

When trying to do delicate work, everything turned into lime powder.

This proverb describes a situation where an attempt to perform a very fine or meticulous task backfires, resulting in total destruction or waste of resources. It is used when someone's over-ambition or lack of skill in handling delicate matters leads to a complete mess instead of the intended perfection.

When asked 'Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, when will you go to sleep?', she replied 'I will go after killing you'.

This proverb describes a situation where someone is waiting for an opportunity or for someone to leave/relax, but the other person is so stubborn or hostile that they refuse to give in or intend to cause harm before they yield. It is used to illustrate deep-seated animosity or someone being extremely difficult to deal with.

When the mother-in-law was asked to lift the pestle, she said let the New Moon day come.

This proverb describes a person who uses irrelevant excuses to procrastinate or avoid doing a simple task. It highlights the tendency of lazy or unwilling people to wait for an 'auspicious' or 'specific' time to perform even the most basic chores that have no connection to such timing.