బావిలోని కప్పకు గానుగ ఎద్దుకు అవే లోకాలు

baviloni kappaku ganuga edduku ave lokalu

Translation

For a frog in the well and an ox at the oil mill, those are their only worlds.

Meaning

This proverb describes people with a narrow or limited perspective who believe their small environment is the entire world. The frog thinks the well is the whole universe, and the mill-ox, walking in circles, thinks its path is the only reality. It is used to describe lack of exposure or worldly knowledge.

Related Phrases

Can an oil-mill ox suddenly become a ploughing ox?

This proverb is used to describe how long-term habits or specific training cannot be changed instantly. Just as an ox trained to walk in circles for an oil mill cannot immediately adapt to the linear, strenuous work of ploughing a field, a person accustomed to one way of life or job cannot suddenly switch to a completely different skill set or environment without proper transition and time.

Why pay rent for one's own ox?

This proverb is used to describe situations where one shouldn't have to pay or seek permission for using their own resources, or when someone expects payment for helping their own family or close ones. It emphasizes that it is unnecessary or absurd to charge for services within a household or for things one already owns.

The ox on the other side

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is ignored or their presence is completely disregarded, similar to 'talking to a wall.' It often implies that the person being spoken to is as unresponsive or indifferent as an ox standing far away.

Husband's world is her world; son's world is the afterlife.

This traditional proverb highlights the different roles family members play in a woman's life according to historical social norms. It suggests that while a husband is a woman's primary companion and focus during her lifetime, a son is seen as the one who ensures her spiritual salvation and peace in the afterlife through the performance of last rites and rituals.

A joined navel for a cow, a high head for an ox, and a sagging navel and udder for a cow are good traits.

This is a traditional agricultural proverb used by farmers to identify healthy and productive cattle based on physical traits. It suggests that a cow with an 'attached' or 'joined' navel is auspicious, an ox with a high-held head is strong and hardworking, and a cow with a sagging navel and well-developed udder is likely to be a high milk producer. It is used when evaluating or purchasing livestock.

After pouring sesame seeds into the oil mill, she held the oil pot under the mill.

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely impatient or foolishly optimistic. It refers to someone who expects immediate results or the final product the very second they start a process, ignoring the time and effort required for the work to be completed.

A stone in the shoe, a gadfly in the ear, and constant strife in the house.

This expression lists three things that cause continuous, nagging discomfort and irritation that cannot be ignored. It is used to describe how domestic quarrels or internal family conflicts are as unbearable and persistent as the physical irritation of a stone in one's footwear or the buzzing of an insect in one's ear.

I gave the blanket for those specific words spoken then, but did I give it for you to wrap yourself in it forever?

This expression is used when someone takes a temporary favor or a one-time gesture for granted and expects it to continue indefinitely. It highlights that a promise or help given under specific circumstances is not a permanent commitment or an open-ended entitlement.

Is the sea near to a frog in a well ? Applied to a clumsy fellow.

This proverb is used to describe a person with a narrow perspective or limited knowledge who thinks their small world is everything. It highlights how someone with restricted experience cannot comprehend the vastness or complexity of the real world, much like a frog that believes its well is the entire universe.

For Ganganamma on the mound, her whole world revolves around food.

This proverb is used to describe someone who is excessively focused on their own needs, particularly food or self-interest, rather than their duties or surroundings. It refers to a local deity (Ganganamma) who, instead of focusing on her devotees or spiritual role, is preoccupied only with the offerings provided to her.