దాలిగుంట వారు తామర గుంటకు, తామరగుంట వారు దాలిగుంటకు వచ్చినట్లు
daligunta varu tamara guntaku, tamaragunta varu daliguntaku vachchinatlu
Like people of the ash-pit going to the lotus-pond, and people of the lotus-pond going to the ash-pit.
This expression refers to a situation where two parties exchange places or switch roles, often resulting in both being out of their natural or comfortable element. It describes an unnecessary or mismatched swap where the change doesn't benefit either side, similar to 'the grass is always greener' mentality leading to poor decisions.
Related Phrases
పాలకు వచ్చి ముంత దాచినట్లు.
palaku vachchi munta dachinatlu.
Like coming for milk but hiding the vessel.
This proverb is used to describe a person who approaches someone for help or with a specific purpose but hesitates to speak their mind or hides their true intentions due to shyness, false pride, or unnecessary secrecy. It highlights the irony of wanting something while being too secretive to ask for it.
తానుండేది దాలిగుంట పట్టు, తలచేవి మేడా మాళిగెలు
tanundedi daligunta pattu, talachevi meda maligelu
He lives in a pit, but dreams of castles. His ideas are far above his position.
This proverb is used to describe a person who lives in extremely poor or humble conditions but has grand, unrealistic ambitions or speaks of great luxuries. It highlights the vast gap between one's actual situation and their high-flown aspirations or pretenses.
తాను ఉండేది దాలిగుంట పట్టు, తలచేవి మేడమాళిగలు.
tanu undedi daligunta pattu, talachevi medamaligalu.
Living in a pile of ash, but dreaming of mansions and palaces.
This proverb is used to describe a person who lives in extreme poverty or humble conditions but has unrealistic, grandiose ambitions or speaks of luxury far beyond their reach. It highlights the disparity between one's reality and their fantasies.
పాలకు వచ్చి ముంత దాచినట్టు
palaku vachchi munta dachinattu
Begging for milk and hiding his cup.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone approaches another person for help or a favor but is too hesitant, shy, or secretive to state their actual need. It highlights the irony of intending to ask for something while concealing the very tool or reason needed to receive it.
Poverty and pride.
కుక్క దాలిగుంట
kukka daligunta
A dog in a heap of warm ashes
This expression refers to someone who is extremely lazy or deeply settled in a comfortable spot and refuses to move. It is used to describe a person who lacks ambition or is overly attached to their current comfort, similar to a dog that curls up in the warm ash of a fireplace and stays there all day.
గుంట ఓనమాలు
gunta onamalu
Pit alphabets (Basic lessons in the sand)
This expression refers to the very basics or fundamentals of any subject. Historically, it refers to the traditional method where children practiced writing their first alphabets (O-Na-Ma-Lu) in a bed of sand or a shallow pit. It is used to describe someone who is at the absolute beginning stage of learning something.
కుక్క బుద్ధి దాలిగుంటకు తెలుసు
kukka buddhi daliguntaku telusu
The hearth knows the dog's mindset.
This proverb is used to describe a person who cannot break their habits or keeps returning to the same place or behavior due to their inherent nature. Just as a dog always seeks the warmth of the ash-pit (daaligunta) despite being shooed away, some people repeatedly succumb to their weaknesses or old patterns.
ఏ గుంటలో నీరు ఆ గుంటలోనే ఇంకుతుంది.
e guntalo niru a guntalone inkutundi.
The water in a pit will soak back into the same pit.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where money, resources, or efforts remain within the same circle, family, or system without going outside. It is often applied to business transactions within a family or internal adjustments where there is no net loss or gain to the external world.
దాలిగుంటలో కుక్క మాదిరి
daliguntalo kukka madiri
Like a dog in a hearth pit
This expression describes someone who is extremely lazy, stubborn, or settled comfortably in a place they refuse to leave, even if they are in the way. A 'Daligunta' is a pit used for warming or slow-cooking with husks; a dog lying there enjoys the warmth and becomes very reluctant to move.
గుంతకు వస్తే మరదలు మిట్టకు వస్తే వదిన
guntaku vaste maradalu mittaku vaste vadina
If in a ditch she is a sister-in-law (younger); if on a mound she is a sister-in-law (elder).
This expression is used to describe opportunistic behavior. It refers to a person who changes their relationship or attitude towards someone based on the situation or their own convenience. In this context, calling someone 'maradalu' implies a more casual or lower-status relationship when things are difficult (ditch), while calling them 'vadina' implies a more respectful or distant relationship when things are better (mound). It characterizes a fair-weather friend or someone who is inconsistently respectful.