ఎద్దు దున్నగా పిణుజు వెక్కిరించినది

eddu dunnaga pinuju vekkirinchinadi

Translation

While the bullock was ploughing, the tick puffed and blew.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is doing absolutely no work or contributing nothing mocks or criticizes someone who is working hard. It highlights the irony of an insignificant person (the tick) looking down upon the provider of labor (the ox).

Notes

Applied to a person who does little in assisting others but makes much of it. What a dust have I raised! quoth the fly upon the coach.

Related Phrases

The ox died, but the branding mark was well-placed.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a lot of effort or a specific procedure was carried out perfectly, yet the ultimate goal or subject was lost. It highlights a bittersweet or ironic scenario where the operation was a success, but the patient died. It is often used to mock someone who focuses on technical perfection while failing to achieve the actual purpose.

By singing repeatedly, the melody improves; by eating repeatedly, even Neem tastes sweet.

This proverb emphasizes that practice makes perfect and that persistence can make even difficult or unpleasant tasks easier over time. Note: The user provided 'rogam' (disease), but the traditional proverb is 'vemu' (neem), implying that constant habituation changes one's perspective or skill.

Like the food offered to the dead on a corpse

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is so greedy or heartless that they try to extract benefit or profit from a tragic, miserable, or desperate situation. It reflects a state of utter exploitation or extreme pettiness in a moment of sorrow.

While the ox was plowing, the tick mocked it.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is insignificant or contributes nothing mocks or criticizes someone who is doing all the hard work. It highlights the arrogance of people who feel superior despite their total dependence on others' labor.

Sun in the day, darkness at night, when will you plough, oh male buffalo?

This proverb is used to mock lazy people who find excuses for every situation. Just as the buffalo avoids work by complaining about the heat during the day and the darkness at night, it refers to individuals who always have a reason to procrastinate or avoid their responsibilities regardless of the circumstances.

All her threats ended in making a hole in the molasses pot.

This proverb describes someone who makes empty threats or creates a big fuss without any actual courage or intelligence, but eventually ends up causing damage to something valuable (like a pot of jaggery) out of sheer clumsiness or frustration. It is used to mock people who act tough but only manage to ruin their own interests or perform counter-productive actions.

Not knowing what to do, he began to mimic others.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone, out of boredom or a lack of productive tasks, engages in silly, annoying, or counterproductive behavior. It highlights how an idle mind often resorts to trivial or irritating actions just to pass the time.

When one man was crying out that his beard was on fire another followed him asking him for a light for his cigar. If my beard is burnt, others try to light their pipes at it. (Turkish.)

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is being extremely insensitive or selfish. It highlights the contrast between one person's serious crisis and another person's trivial, self-centered request, showing a complete lack of empathy for someone else's suffering.

Like an egg heckling the young bird.

A young, inexperienced man ridiculing an elder one. It is better to learn to respect the elderly and experienced people, and, if possible, learn from their expertise gained over many years.

Like eating the food offered to a corpse

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely greedy, stingy, or exploitative, particularly someone who seeks to benefit or make a profit even from a tragic or pathetic situation. It refers to taking advantage of someone else's misfortune.