దయ్యాలతో నెయ్యాలు చేసినట్లు.

dayyalato neyyalu chesinatlu.

Translation

Like making friendships with ghosts/demons.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a dangerous or ill-advised alliance with wicked, untrustworthy, or harmful people. Just as a ghost is unpredictable and potentially lethal, befriending such individuals will eventually lead to one's own downfall.

Related Phrases

In a neglected house, devils take up their abode.

This proverb suggests that when a place or a situation is neglected or left without proper leadership and supervision, evil or undesirable elements will inevitably move in and take control. It is often used to emphasize the importance of oversight and maintenance in both physical properties and social or political institutions.

Like ghosts catching you at the very place you went to hide.

This proverb describes a situation where a person tries to escape a problem or seek safety, but ends up facing an even bigger danger or the exact same problem they were running from. It is similar to the English expression 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire.'

Devils reciting (quoting) the Vedas.

Similar to ‘the devil citing the scripture’, which suggests that an evildoer may try to justify his evil actions, by cleverly citing the sacred books. It is defending the indefensible.

Do not serve food to strangers and wayfarers.

This proverb is a warning against wasting resources or showing hospitality to unknown, transient, or unworthy people (strangers) while neglecting one's own family or those who are truly deserving. It emphasizes the importance of prioritizing your own responsibilities and family before trying to please random outsiders who have no lasting connection to you.

Like the master's life-force entering a wooden stick

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is extremely terrified, anxious, or caught in a very tight spot. It refers to a state of extreme distress or being paralyzed with fear, often used when someone's life or reputation is hanging by a thread.

Making a mountain out of a molehill (Literally: making a fingernail-sized thing as big as a mountain)

This expression is used to describe someone who exaggerates a very small issue or minor incident into something massive or significant. It is typically applied when someone overreacts or blows a situation out of proportion.

Like pouring ghee into the fire

This expression is used to describe an action that worsens an already volatile or tense situation. Just as ghee makes a fire blaze more intensely, this phrase refers to 'adding fuel to the fire'—making someone angrier or making a conflict more severe.

Like scattering parched grains and waking up the ghosts.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone unintentionally invites big trouble or awakens dormant problems while performing a simple or mundane task. It refers to creating a nuisance for oneself by interfering in matters that were better left alone.

Like trying to make a lump out of mustard seeds

This expression is used to describe an impossible or extremely difficult task involving bringing together people or things that have a tendency to scatter or remain individualistic. Just as tiny, round mustard seeds roll away and cannot be easily formed into a solid ball, it refers to the difficulty of achieving unity or consensus among a group of disjointed entities.

A motherless child is left to the mercy of ghosts.

This proverb highlights the vulnerability and neglect a child might face without a mother's protection. It is used to express that someone without a primary guardian or advocate is often mistreated or exploited by others.