దెప్పె ఎక్కినట్లు, దేవుడికి మొక్కినట్లు.

deppe ekkinatlu, devudiki mokkinatlu.

Translation

Like climbing the hill and praying to God.

Meaning

This expression describes doing things for the sake of formality or in a routine, mechanical manner without real devotion or focus. It is used when someone performs a task just to get it over with or to show others they have done it, rather than putting in genuine effort or intent.

Related Phrases

Like a blind man stepping on wet dung floor-wash.

This expression describes a situation where someone performs a task haphazardly, clumsily, or without any sense of direction or awareness. It is used when someone's actions are messy and lack the precision or skill required for the job.

Like the god appearing while one was on the way to offer prayers.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone unexpectedly finds what they were searching for or gets help effortlessly, right when they were about to put in a great deal of effort to achieve it.

Like soaked fiber climbing onto the head

This expression refers to people who take advantage of kindness or proximity to become overly familiar, disrespectful, or dominant. It describes a situation where someone who was initially humble or in a subordinate position starts acting superior or bothersome once they are given some comfort or leeway.

Like the woman who threshes only gets to keep what she nibbled.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone works extremely hard on a task, but receives very little or insignificant benefit compared to the effort put in. It refers to the manual labor of pounding grain, where the worker might only get to eat a few grains that fall into her mouth while the bulk of the produce goes to someone else.

Like ignoring the god in your house and praying to the god on the street.

This proverb describes a situation where someone overlooks the resources, talent, or solutions available right at home or close to them, while searching for them in outside places. It is used to point out the irony of ignoring local or domestic value in favor of external alternatives.

Only the bran you have stuffed into your mouth is yours.

This proverb emphasizes that only what you have already consumed or secured for yourself is truly yours. It is used to describe situations involving uncertainty or limited resources, suggesting that one should value what they have already obtained rather than relying on future promises or potential gains that may never materialize.

Like praying to a deity, only for it to possess you like a ghost.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone seeks help or protection from a person or entity, but instead of receiving help, that very person or entity becomes a source of trouble or misery. It is similar to the concept of a 'blessing becoming a curse' or a savior turning into an oppressor.

An offering for God, an incantation for the devil.

This expression suggests using different approaches for different types of people or situations. It implies that good people should be dealt with through kindness and gifts, while wicked or difficult people must be handled with appropriate force or clever tactics to keep them at bay.

Like the steps of the feet reaching the head.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone of a lower status or position suddenly acts with arrogance or oversteps their boundaries toward their superiors. It signifies an inversion of the natural order or a sudden rise in ego where a person forgets their place.

Like falling at the feet of a sleeping man. Useless endeavours at a wrong time.

This expression describes a situation where an action is completely futile or pointless because the recipient is unaware or unable to respond. It is used when someone seeks help or expresses gratitude to someone who is indifferent, incapable of understanding, or inattentive, rendering the effort wasted.