చేటూపాటూ ఎరగనమ్మ ఇల్లెక్కి పిండి కొట్టిందట

chetupatu eraganamma illekki pindi kottindata

Translation

The woman who didn't know the proper way to use a winnowing basket climbed onto the roof to pound the flour.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic knowledge or skills but attempts to perform a task in a ridiculous, overly complicated, or grand manner. It mocks someone who, instead of learning the fundamental way of doing things, acts foolishly while pretending to be busy or productive.

Related Phrases

The chicken that got used to eating well ended up crowing from the rooftop.

This proverb is used to describe a person who becomes overly bold, arrogant, or demanding after being pampered or given too much freedom. It suggests that when someone is treated with excessive indulgence, they lose their sense of boundaries and start acting in a disrespectful or entitled manner.

An innocent woman, unaware of misfortune, arranged a second marriage for her husband.

This proverb describes a situation where someone unknowingly invites trouble or creates their own competition out of sheer innocence or lack of foresight. It is used to mock people who take actions that seem helpful or generous but eventually lead to their own downfall or disadvantage.

Like grinding mountains into powder

This expression is used to describe a person who possesses extraordinary strength, capability, or determination. It characterizes someone who can achieve seemingly impossible tasks or overcome massive obstacles with great ease or force.

The woman who doesn't know the difference between misfortune and fortune went to her husband's wedding.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks common sense, social awareness, or the ability to distinguish between a favorable and an unfavorable situation. It mocks the absurdity of someone celebrating or participating in an event that is actually detrimental to them.

The girl who knows nothing is obsessed with her father-in-law.

This expression is used to describe someone who pretends to be innocent, naive, or ignorant, but in reality, they are cunning enough to pursue their own interests or engage in inappropriate behavior. It highlights the hypocrisy of those who feign ignorance while acting cleverly for their own gain.

Getting on the roof [ of a thatched house ] and whirling a firebrand.

This expression is used to describe a person's foolish or self-destructive behavior that brings harm or ruin to their own family or reputation. Just as waving a firebrand while standing on a thatched roof will inevitably set the house on fire, this phrase refers to actions that are blatantly dangerous and guarantee self-inflicted disaster.

When asked 'Hello Narayamma, where is your house?', she replied 'It is in the Govindaraja temple'.

This proverb describes a situation where someone gives a vague, evasive, or logically impossible answer to a simple question. It is used to mock people who provide confusing or grandiloquent responses instead of a straightforward one, or when someone claims ownership of something that clearly doesn't belong to them.

There is no lie unknown to oneself, and there is no lineage unknown to the mother.

This proverb emphasizes absolute truth and intimacy. Just as a person internally knows when they are lying regardless of what they tell the world, a mother knows the true origin and character of her children better than anyone else. It is used to suggest that some facts are impossible to hide from those at the source.

Cake (roti) according to the dough.

The result that can be achieved depends on the resources available.

Dew harms mangoes, and kitchen wastewater harms coconut trees.

This is an agricultural proverb reflecting traditional wisdom. It means that excessive mist or dew during the flowering stage can ruin a mango crop by causing pests or fungal growth, while pouring salty or used kitchen water (kuditi) at the base of a coconut tree can hinder its growth or health.