దండుకు పోయినవాడి పెళ్లాం- ఎక్కడ ఉన్నా ముందే!

danduku poyinavadi pellam- ekkada unna munde!

Translation

The wife of a soldier who went to war—wherever she is, she's at the front!

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe someone who is overly proactive, pushy, or always managed to stay ahead of others, often in a humorous or slightly critical way. Just as a soldier faces the frontline, his wife is metaphorically described as being 'ahead' or 'at the front' in social settings or tasks.

Related Phrases

The wife of a man who goes to war is destined to be a widow sooner or later.

This proverb highlights the inherent risks and inevitable consequences of certain dangerous professions or life choices. It suggests that when someone consistently involves themselves in high-risk activities (like war), a negative outcome is not a matter of 'if', but 'when'. It is used to caution people about the predictable end results of risky behavior.

Why play the wedding band after the marriage is already over?

This proverb is used to point out that it is useless to perform an action or provide a suggestion after the event or opportunity has already passed. It signifies that certain efforts are redundant or unnecessary when the time for them has lapsed.

Even a doctor's wife has to become a widow one day, it is said.

This proverb emphasizes that death is inevitable and no one can escape the laws of nature, regardless of their status, wealth, or profession. Even a doctor, who saves others' lives, cannot save his own life or protect his spouse from widowhood when the time comes. It is used to point out that certain outcomes are unavoidable and apply to everyone equally.

That which was owned is gone, and that which was kept is also gone

This proverb describes a situation where someone loses what they already possessed while greedily chasing something extra or trying to manage two things at once. It is used to highlight total loss resulting from poor judgment or over-ambition.

The wife of a man who went to war is a widow wherever she stays (she will be a widow eventually anyway).

This proverb describes a situation with an inevitable negative outcome. It is used to refer to someone whose fate is sealed or a project that is doomed to fail regardless of the temporary measures or locations changed. It emphasizes that certain losses or consequences are unavoidable due to the high-risk nature of the original action.

If alms are given ten times in an enemy's house, so much the better.

This proverb suggests that one should not expect help or goodwill from an enemy. Even if they appear to give something or help you, it is likely temporary, unreliable, or comes with hidden strings that ultimately result in a loss for you. It emphasizes the importance of self-respect and the futility of depending on those who wish you ill.

What remains is the bank (solid ground), what is lost is the husk.

This expression is used to describe a situation where, after a loss or a filtering process, only the essential or valuable part remains while the useless or trivial part is gone. It is often used to console someone by pointing out that even if something was lost, the core strength or the most important asset is still intact.

Like a person who went to fetch medicine returning in time for the monthly funeral rites.

This proverb is used to describe someone who is extremely slow or procrastinates to a ridiculous extent. It depicts a situation where a person sent to get life-saving medicine for a patient returns so late that the patient has already died and it is time for the 'Masikam' (a ritual performed one month after death).

What remains is solid, what has gone is empty husk.

This expression is used to describe situations where unnecessary, weak, or useless elements are discarded, leaving behind only what is valuable, strong, or essential. It is often used to provide comfort during a loss or a filtering process, suggesting that whatever was lost wasn't worth keeping anyway.

A poor man's wife is a sister-in-law to the whole village.

This proverb illustrates how people in power or those with higher social status often take liberties with or lack respect for those who are vulnerable or lack protection. It suggests that when someone is poor or weak, everyone feels entitled to treat them with over-familiarity or disregard their dignity.