దొంగగొడ్లకు గుదికట్టలు కట్టినట్లు.
dongagodlaku gudikattalu kattinatlu.
Like tying heavy wooden blocks to the necks of straying cattle.
This expression is used when someone is restricted or strictly monitored because of their past misbehavior or tendency to escape responsibilities. Just as heavy blocks (gudikattalu) prevent cattle from running away or jumping fences, this refers to imposing necessary constraints on a person who cannot be trusted to act disciplined on their own.
Related Phrases
దొంగకు తేలు కుట్టినట్లు
dongaku telu kuttinatlu
Like a thief, stung by a scorpion.
This refers to some criminal who cannot even complain. If a person is doing something criminal, he cannot complain against a natural problem/discomfort he has to face. The moral is that it is better not to commit blunders one may find it difficult to get out of them.
చెట్టుకు విస్తళ్ళు కట్టినట్లు
chettuku vistallu kattinatlu
Like tying leaf plates back onto the tree
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to fix or undo something that is already broken, finished, or irreversibly changed in a way that is unnatural or futile. It refers to the impossible task of making a cut leaf part of the living tree again.
పుట్టని బిడ్డకు పూసలు కట్టినట్టు
puttani biddaku pusalu kattinattu
Tying beads round an unborn child.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone makes elaborate plans or preparations for something that has not yet happened or may never happen. It is similar to the English expression 'Counting your chickens before they hatch.'
Don't reckon your eggs before they are laid. ( Latin. )*
గాలి మేడలు కట్టడం
gali medalu kattadam
Building castles in the air
This expression refers to creating unrealistic plans or daydreams that have no solid foundation. It is used to describe someone who is being impractical or overly idealistic about the future without taking any concrete action.
దొంగగొడ్డుకు గుడి కట్టినట్లు
dongagodduku gudi kattinatlu
Like building a temple for a stray or thieving cattle.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who is unworthy, dishonest, or troublesome is given undue respect, honor, or protection. It highlights the irony and wastefulness of glorifying someone who does not deserve it.
చీపురుకట్టకు పట్టుకుచ్చు కట్టినట్లు.
chipurukattaku pattukuchchu kattinatlu.
Like tying a silk tassel to a broomstick.
This proverb describes a situation where something cheap, ugly, or low-quality is decorated with something expensive and elegant. It is used to mock a mismatch in status or quality, often referring to an unattractive person wearing expensive jewelry or an unworthy person being given high honors.
గాలిలో మేడలు కట్టడం
galilo medalu kattadam
Building mansions in the air
This expression is used to describe someone who has unrealistic plans or daydreams about things that are unlikely to happen. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'building castles in the air'.
చీపురుకట్టకు పట్టుకుచ్చు కట్టినట్లు
chipurukattaku pattukuchchu kattinatlu
A silk tassel to a broom.
This expression is used to describe an absurd or mismatched combination where something very beautiful, expensive, or high-quality is wasted on or attached to something lowly, ugly, or insignificant. It highlights the incongruity and pointlessness of such an arrangement.
The grand appearance of a worthless person. A leaden sword in an ivory scabbard.
కుక్కకు జరికుచ్చులు కట్టినట్లు.
kukkaku jarikuchchulu kattinatlu.
Like tying golden tassels to a dog.
This expression is used to describe a situation where something beautiful, valuable, or sophisticated is given to someone who cannot appreciate its worth or is completely unsuitable for it. It highlights the mismatch between an elegant ornament and an unworthy recipient, often used to mock unnecessary or tasteless ornamentation.
పోయిన నీళ్ళకు కట్ట కట్టినట్లు
poyina nillaku katta kattinatlu
Like building a dam after the water has already flowed away
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone takes corrective action or precautions after the damage has already been done and it is too late to be effective. It is similar to the English proverb 'locking the stable door after the horse has bolted'.