అత్తా అత్తా రోకలి ఎత్తమంటే అమావాస్య రానిమ్మందట

atta atta rokali ettamante amavasya ranimmandata

Translation

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

Meaning

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.

Related Phrases

He said the madness is cured, now wrap a pestle around my head

This proverb is used to describe someone who claims to be reformed or cured of a problem but immediately suggests something equally absurd or foolish. It highlights a situation where there is no real improvement despite claims to the contrary, or when someone's inherent nature remains unchanged.

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

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.

The mother-in-law who knew everything died on a New Moon day.

This proverb is used to mock people who claim to be experts or omniscient but fail at basic common sense or fail to account for things they should have known. In Telugu culture, the New Moon (Amavasya) is often considered inauspicious for certain events; the irony here is that despite her 'vast knowledge,' she couldn't even choose an auspicious time or manage her own fate effectively.

When the daughter-in-law said she was hungry, her mother- in-law told her to swallow the pestle.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone asks for a basic necessity or a small favor and receives a cruel, impossible, or mocking response instead of help. It highlights the lack of empathy or the hostile relationship between two people, often used to critique someone who gives heartless advice.

Rōkali is a wooden pestle, five or six feet long, used for pounding rice.

The mother-in-law asked her to dance, but the daughter-in-law said she was lame.

This expression describes a situation where someone intentionally makes excuses or feigns inability to avoid doing a task or following a suggestion. It highlights a spirit of non-cooperation or finding faults to escape responsibility.

There is no softness in a sword, nor goodness in a mother-in- law.

This is a traditional proverb used to describe situations or relationships that are inherently difficult or sharp by nature. Just as a knife cannot fulfill its purpose if it is soft, the proverb suggests that the relationship with a mother-in-law is traditionally expected to be strict or stern rather than purely 'soft' or 'kind'. It is often used to comment on the inevitable friction in certain roles or power dynamics.

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If the priest does not come, will the new moon wait for him? Time and tide wait for no man.

This proverb is used to convey that time and tide wait for no man. Essential events in nature or life will continue to happen according to their own schedule, regardless of whether a specific person or professional is present or ready. It is often used to humble someone who thinks they are indispensable to a process.

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.

A camel's colic won't go away unless treated with pestles.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a severe or large-scale problem requires an equally strong or drastic measure to be solved. Just as a large animal like a camel needs a heavy tool (pestle) for treatment, major issues cannot be fixed with minor or delicate efforts.