చెరుకు పిప్పికి చీమలు మూగినట్టు

cheruku pippiki chimalu muginattu

Translation

Like ants swarming around sugarcane waste

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where people gather or flock around something that is essentially useless, valueless, or has already been exhausted of its essence. It implies a waste of effort or misplaced interest in something that no longer offers any real benefit.

Related Phrases

Ants gather where there is jaggery.

This proverb means that people naturally flock to a person or place where there is wealth, benefit, or some advantage. Just as ants are attracted to sweetness, people are attracted to success or resources.

Ants come of themselves to the place where there is sugar- cane. Where the carcase is, the ravens will gather.

This proverb implies that where there is a source of wealth, benefit, or sweetness, people will naturally gravitate toward it without being invited. It is used to describe situations where people gather around someone who has resources or influence, often out of self-interest.

Like flies swarming over sugarcane pulp.

This expression is used to describe a situation where people gather around something that is useless, worthless, or has already been drained of its value. It highlights the futility of chasing after remains or leftovers that offer no real benefit.

Ants will find their own way to where the lake is.

This proverb suggests that people or resources naturally gravitate toward a place of abundance or opportunity without needing to be invited. Just as ants are attracted to water or food, people are drawn to success, wealth, or power.

For a seer, a seer and a quarter.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone meets their match or encounters someone even more capable, cunning, or stronger than themselves. It implies that for every expert, there is always someone better.

Ants come on their own to the place where there is sugarcane

This proverb signifies that people are naturally drawn to places or individuals where there is wealth, benefit, or opportunity. It suggests that one does not need to invite others when there is something valuable to be gained; they will flock to it automatically, much like ants find sugar.

For Ellamma who swallowed elephants, corpses are like pepper seeds.

This proverb is used to describe a person who has committed massive frauds or handled enormous tasks, for whom smaller wrongdoings or minor challenges are trivial. It signifies that someone who has dealt with something huge will find small things insignificant or easy to handle.

Like asking for wages to chew sugarcane

This expression describes a situation where someone asks for a reward or compensation for doing something that is already beneficial, pleasurable, or personally advantageous to them. It highlights the irony of demanding payment for an activity that is its own reward.

If a woman cannot reach the hanging net, can she jump to heaven?

This proverb is used to mock someone who fails at a simple, basic task but makes grand claims about achieving something much more difficult or impossible. It highlights the gap between one's actual abilities and their unrealistic ambitions.

Will a rock wear away just because ants crawl over it?

This proverb is used to describe an impossible task or an action that has no significant impact. It suggests that certain small or weak efforts, no matter how frequent, cannot change or damage something that is inherently strong and solid.