చేటలో వెలగకాయలవలె
chetalo velagakayalavale
Like wood apples in a winnowing tray.
This expression describes a situation where things or people are scattered, unorganized, and constantly rolling or moving about without stability. It is often used to refer to a lack of unity or a group where members are not cooperating and are heading in different directions.
Related Phrases
తినేవి తిప్పకాయలు, వెళ్ళగ్రక్కేవి వెలగకాయలు
tinevi tippakayalu, vellagrakkevi velagakayalu
The ones eaten are small bitter fruits, but the ones vomited out are large wood apples.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone puts in very little effort or investment but expects or claims to have achieved massive results. It highlights the exaggeration of outcomes or the irony of someone who consumes something of low value but boasts about producing something of high value.
ఒజ్జల పుచ్చకాయ వలె
ojjala puchchakaya vale
Like a teacher's watermelon
This expression refers to a person or thing that is well-guarded, well-cared for, or treated with extreme caution and high regard. Historically, it stems from a story where a teacher's watermelon was protected so strictly that it became a symbol for something highly prioritized or carefully watched over.
నేతి బీరకాయలాగా
neti birakayalaga
Like a ghee-ridge gourd
This expression is used to describe something that is empty, deceptive, or lacks the quality its name suggests. Just as a ghee-ridge gourd (Nethi Beerakaya) contains no actual ghee, this phrase refers to people, objects, or promises that sound valuable but are practically useless or hollow.
ఏనుగు మింగిన వెలగ పండు
enugu mingina velaga pandu
A wood apple swallowed by an elephant
This expression is used to describe something that appears intact on the outside but is completely hollow or empty on the inside. It originates from the folk belief that when an elephant swallows a wood apple, the fruit remains whole through the digestive process, but the pulp inside disappears mysteriously. It is often used to refer to sudden losses, empty promises, or wealth that vanishes without a trace.
పచ్చి వెలగకాయ గొంతున పడ్డట్టు
pachchi velagakaya gontuna paddattu
Like an unripe wood apple sticking in one's throat. Distress caused by continual worrying.
This expression is used to describe a very uncomfortable, awkward, or distressing situation that one can neither swallow nor spit out. It refers to a state of being stuck in a dilemma or a painful predicament where no immediate solution is visible.
గచ్చకాయల కుండవలె
gachchakayala kundavale
Like a pot full of fever nuts (Gachakayalu)
This expression is used to describe a situation or a person that is extremely unstable, noisy, or prone to sudden disruption. Since Gachakayalu (fever nuts) are hard, round, and smooth, a pot filled with them will rattle loudly at the slightest touch and the nuts will easily spill out and scatter everywhere if the pot tips even slightly.
గాదెడు దోసకాయలలో చేటడు కుచ్చెలు పట్టవా?
gadedu dosakayalalo chetadu kuchchelu pattava?
In a granary full of cucumbers, won't there be space for a winnowing-basket full of ends?
This proverb is used to suggest that when dealing with a massive quantity or a large project, a small extra addition or a minor flaw is negligible and easily accommodated. It implies that in the grand scheme of things, small details or slight increments do not make a significant difference.
కంపలో పడ్డ ఈగలవలె
kampalo padda igalavale
Like flies caught in a thorny bush
This expression is used to describe a situation where people are hopelessly trapped or stuck in a difficult problem with no easy way to escape. Just as flies get their wings snagged in thorny branches and struggle to get out, it signifies being entangled in a complex or messy predicament.
ఏనుగు మింగిన వెలగపండు వలె
enugu mingina velagapandu vale
Like a wood-apple swallowed by an elephant
This proverb refers to a situation where something appears whole on the outside but is completely empty or hollow inside. It originates from the myth that when an elephant eats a wood-apple (Velagapandu), the pulp is digested through the shell, leaving the fruit looking intact but empty when it passes through. It is used to describe wasted efforts, lost opportunities, or things that have lost their internal substance despite outward appearances.
కరిమింగిన వెలగపండు
karimingina velagapandu
The wood-apple swallowed by an elephant.
This expression refers to something that appears intact on the outside but is completely empty or hollow on the inside. It is based on the folk belief that when an elephant swallows a wood-apple whole, the fruit's pulp is digested through the shell, leaving the exterior perfectly whole while the inside becomes empty. It is used to describe deceptive appearances or loss of substance.