ఆవగింజ అట్టె దాచి గుమ్మడికాయ గుల్లకాసుగా ఎంచేవాడు
avaginja atte dachi gummadikaya gullakasuga enchevadu
A man who saves a mustard seed and thinks a pumpkin worth a shell-coin. Penny wise and pound foolish. They drink their water by measure, but eat their cake without. (Greek.)
This expression describes a person who is 'penny wise and pound foolish.' It refers to someone who is obsessively careful about trivial, tiny matters (the mustard seed) but remains completely negligent or wasteful regarding large, significant things (the pumpkin).
Related Phrases
ఈతగింజ ఇచ్చి తాటిగింజ లాగేవాడు
itaginja ichchi tatiginja lagevadu
A man who gives a date stone and takes a palmyra nut.
This expression describes a manipulative or extremely shrewd person who gives something of very little value (a small date seed) to gain something much more valuable (a large palmyra seed). It is used to caution against people who perform small favors only to demand or extract much larger benefits in return.
Íta is the wild date ( Phoenix Sylvestris ). Tāḍu is the Palmyra ( Borassus Flabelliformis ). Offering a gift of slight value for the purpose of gaining a rich present. Throw in a sprat to catch a salmon.
గుమ్మడికాయ పోయేదారి తెలియక ఆవగింజకు అల్లాడినట్లు.
gummadikaya poyedari teliyaka avaginjaku alladinatlu.
Like worrying over a lost mustard seed while being unaware of the lost pumpkin.
This proverb describes a person who stresses over trivial, minor losses or details while completely ignoring a much larger, more significant problem or loss. It is used to point out a lack of perspective or misplaced priorities.
కొన్నది వంకాయ, కొసరింది గుమ్మడికాయ
konnadi vankaya, kosarindi gummadikaya
Bought a brinjal, but asked for a pumpkin as a free extra.
This proverb describes a person who buys something very small or cheap but expects a disproportionately large or valuable item for free (kosaru). It is used to mock someone's unreasonable greed or lack of proportion in dealings.
ఆవగింజంత భూమి ఉన్నదెనేని గుమ్మడికాయంత వెజ్జిపెట్టు.
avaginjanta bhumi unnadeneni gummadikayanta vejjipettu.
If one owns land the size of a mustard seed, they will face a hole the size of a pumpkin.
This proverb highlights the burdens and complications that come with property ownership. It suggests that even the smallest amount of asset or land brings disproportionately large problems, taxes, or disputes along with it.
గుమ్మడికాయ పోయిన తావు గుర్తులేదుగాని, ఆవగింజ పోతే అడుక్కు తిన్నదంట
gummadikaya poyina tavu gurtuledugani, avaginja pote adukku tinnadanta
She doesn't remember where the pumpkin was lost, but when a mustard seed was lost, she begged and ate.
This proverb describes a person who is extremely careless or indifferent about significant losses but makes a huge fuss over trivial or insignificant things. It is used to mock someone's lack of perspective or misplaced priorities.
ఆవగింజ అట్టెదాచి, గుమ్మడికాయ కుప్పమీద వేసినట్లు
avaginja attedachi, gummadikaya kuppamida vesinatlu
Hiding a mustard seed while throwing a pumpkin onto the pile
This expression refers to people who are extremely stingy or careful about small, trivial expenses but reckless or wasteful with large, significant ones. It describes a 'penny wise, pound foolish' mentality where someone tries to save a tiny amount while losing a fortune due to negligence or poor judgment.
నోట్లో ఆవగింజ దాగదు
notlo avaginja dagadu
Even a mustard seed cannot be hidden in his mouth. A gossipping fellow who repeats all he hears.
This expression is used to describe someone who cannot keep a secret. Just as a tiny mustard seed is hard to keep still in one's mouth, this person feels a restless urge to reveal any information or secrets they hear to others immediately.
కుంచెడు బియ్యము గుమ్మడి కాయ
kunchedu biyyamu gummadi kaya
A Kunçam of raw-rice and a gourd. A modest request. A thousand Brahmins went on an auspicious occasion to bless the king and on being asked how much rice and vegetable they would each have for their meal, replied as above. The king angry and disgusted at their greediness ordered that each should be forced, with the penalty of his life, to eat the whole quantity demanded. The Brahmins however cheated the king at the suggestion of a cunning Kômaṭi, by distributing one Kunçam of rice and one pumpkin at a time among the whole number of men.
This expression is used to describe an uneven or disproportionate exchange, or a situation where a lot of resources are consumed for a single item. In a traditional sense, it refers to the heavy requirement of rice needed to accompany a large pumpkin curry, signifying that one thing necessitates a large amount of another to be useful.
గుమ్మడికాయ పోయే దారి ఎరగడు, ఆవగింజ పోయే దారి అట్టే పట్టి చూస్తాడు
gummadikaya poye dari eragadu, avaginja poye dari atte patti chustadu
He does not know the way the pumpkin goes, but troubles himself to find the way the mustard seed goes.
This proverb describes a person who fails to notice large, significant losses or obvious mistakes (represented by the pumpkin) but spends excessive effort worrying about or analyzing trivial, insignificant matters (represented by the mustard seed). It is equivalent to the English idiom 'Penny wise, pound foolish'.
గుమ్మడికాయలో ఆవగింజంత
gummadikayalo avaginjanta
Like a mustard seed in a pumpkin
This expression is used to describe a situation where the work accomplished or the progress made is insignificantly small compared to the magnitude of the task remaining. It highlights a vast disproportion between what was intended or required and what was actually achieved.