చక్కెర తిన్న నోటితో తవుడు బొక్కినట్లు

chakkera tinna notito tavudu bokkinatlu

Translation

Like eating bran with a mouth that just tasted sugar.

Meaning

This expression describes a situation where someone who is used to high quality, luxury, or praise suddenly experiences something inferior, unpleasant, or insulting. It captures the sharp contrast and disappointment felt when moving from a superior experience to a mediocre or degrading one.

Related Phrases

The lady who pounded the grain got only what she managed to snack on as her wages.

This proverb describes a situation where someone works extremely hard but receives very little or no formal compensation, having to satisfy themselves with meager, incidental gains. It is used when effort is disproportionate to the reward, or when one's hard work only yields enough for immediate survival.

When they call out "Deaf man! Deaf man!" he answers "[ I've got ] Bran, Bran!"

This proverb is used to describe a complete lack of communication or a situation where two people are talking about entirely different things. It refers to a person who misunderstands what is being said due to a lack of attention or hearing, responding with something totally irrelevant. It is used in situations where there is no sync between a question and an answer.

The jingle of the Telugu words is similar to that of the English equivalents.

When one person says 'deafness, deafness', the other person says 'bran, bran'

This expression describes a situation where two people are talking at cross-purposes or failing to communicate effectively due to a misunderstanding or a lack of attention. It is used when one person's words are completely misinterpreted by another, leading to a nonsensical or irrelevant response, much like a deaf person mishearing a word and replying with something that sounds similar but has a different meaning.

The grinding woman's hire is what she gobbles up.

This proverb describes a situation where someone works hard but receives very little or no profit in return, essentially only getting what they consumed or used during the process. It is used to highlight instances of fruitless labor or poor compensation.

Like the woman who threshes only gets to keep what she nibbled.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone works extremely hard on a task, but receives very little or insignificant benefit compared to the effort put in. It refers to the manual labor of pounding grain, where the worker might only get to eat a few grains that fall into her mouth while the bulk of the produce goes to someone else.

For the woman who pounded the rice, the grain she ate while doing it is her only wage.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone works hard but receives no formal pay or reward, other than a few minor perks or what they consumed while performing the task. It signifies a lack of proper compensation for labor.

Do not trust the pounding; what you have swallowed is the food.

This proverb emphasizes that one should only rely on what is already achieved or secured rather than trusting potential outcomes or future promises. It is often used to remind people that hard work or processes (pounding the grain) don't matter until the final result (the food) is actually consumed or in hand.

Only the bran you have stuffed into your mouth is yours.

This proverb emphasizes that only what you have already consumed or secured for yourself is truly yours. It is used to describe situations involving uncertainty or limited resources, suggesting that one should value what they have already obtained rather than relying on future promises or potential gains that may never materialize.

Even if a beautiful woman becomes thin or a handsome man faints, they still look beautiful.

This proverb suggests that true beauty or quality does not fade easily even under unfavorable conditions. It is used to describe people or things that maintain their grace and value despite hardships, illness, or slight deterioration.

No bran for one's own mouth, but sugar for a concubine's mouth.

This proverb describes a person who neglects the basic needs of themselves or their family while squandering resources on unworthy or external interests. It is used to criticize someone who lives in poverty or debt but acts extravagantly to impress others, especially in bad company.