దుక్కిటెడ్లు పోట్లాడి, దూడల కాళ్లు విరిచినట్లు

dukkitedlu potladi, dudala kallu virichinatlu

Translation

Like the plowing oxen fighting and breaking the calves' legs

Meaning

This expression describes a situation where the conflict or mistakes of superiors or powerful people result in suffering for the innocent, weak, or subordinates. It is used when a quarrel between two parties causes collateral damage to someone who has no involvement in the matter.

Related Phrases

Like bulls fighting and breaking the calves' legs

This expression describes a situation where powerful people or leaders fight among themselves, but the innocent, weak, or subordinates are the ones who suffer the consequences. It is used when a conflict between two major parties results in collateral damage to those who have no part in the dispute.

When the cows fight, the sucking calves' legs are broken. When the great fall out, the poor suffer.

This proverb describes a situation where the conflict or power struggle between two powerful parties or superiors results in the suffering of innocent, smaller, or weaker subordinates who are caught in the middle. It is used to highlight collateral damage caused by leadership disputes.

Like cows fighting with each other and breaking the legs of the calves.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a conflict between two powerful or senior parties results in collateral damage to innocent, smaller, or subordinate people. It highlights how the vulnerable often suffer the consequences of disputes they aren't even involved in.

Like picking a fight with the mother-in-law and leaving without seeing the temple chariot festival.

This proverb describes a situation where someone lets their anger or ego cause them to miss out on a great opportunity or a joyful event. It refers to a woman who, after arguing with her mother-in-law, leaves the village in a huff, thereby missing the grand chariot festival (Teeru) she had been waiting for. It is used to caution against self-defeating behavior driven by spite.

When cows fight with each other, it is the calves' legs that get broken.

This proverb describes a situation where the conflict between two powerful or senior parties results in the suffering of innocent or subordinate individuals who are caught in the middle. It is used to highlight how collateral damage often affects the most vulnerable.

No matter how much they fight, they are one and the same at the toddy shop.

This expression is used to describe people who may have intense rivalries or disagreements in public or professional life, but secretly reconcile or share common interests behind the scenes. It is often applied to politicians or competitors who pretend to be enemies but are actually collaborators when it comes to personal gain.

Like fighting over pebbles used for a hearth.

This expression describes people who waste their energy and time fighting over trivial, worthless, or insignificant things. It is often used to mock unnecessary conflicts where the prize has no real value.

Fighting chickens will not leave even if they are pecked (hurt).

This proverb is used to describe people who are deeply committed to a rivalry or a conflict. Even when they suffer losses or injuries during the struggle, their stubbornness or animosity keeps them from backing down. It is often used to characterize persistent quarreling or long-standing feuds between individuals who refuse to reconcile despite the negative consequences.

Like calves getting their legs broken during a fight between bulls.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where innocent or smaller people suffer consequences due to a conflict between two powerful individuals or parties. It highlights how subordinates often become collateral damage in the disputes of their superiors.

Like a ploughing ox migrating to a different country.

This proverb describes a situation where someone tries to escape hard work or a difficult situation only to find themselves in the same or worse conditions elsewhere. Just as a ploughing ox will be used for the same hard labor regardless of the country it moves to, a person's nature or their burden of work often follows them wherever they go.