ఎదురు తిరిగిన కుక్క ఏదుపంది ఒకటి
eduru tirigina kukka edupandi okati
A dog that turns against you and a porcupine are the same.
This expression is used to describe a person who suddenly turns hostile or betrays someone they were previously loyal to. Just as a porcupine is dangerous to touch, a formerly loyal person who turns against you becomes an extremely difficult and prickly enemy to handle.
Related Phrases
ఊరు తిరిగి రమ్మంటే, రోలు తిరిగి వచ్చినట్లు
uru tirigi rammante, rolu tirigi vachchinatlu
Like being told to go around the village but only going around the mortar
This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely lazy or lacks initiative. It refers to a person who, when given a large task (circling the village), performs the smallest, most effortless version of it (circling the grinding stone inside the house) and claims they are finished.
తినమరిగిన కుక్క రేవు కాసిందట
tinamarigina kukka revu kasindata
A dog used to being fed waited at the riverbank.
This proverb is used to describe a person who, having once enjoyed a benefit or easy gain at a certain place or from a certain task, keeps returning there or waiting expectantly for it to happen again. It highlights the tendency of people (or animals) to become habitual or persistent when they anticipate a reward based on past experience.
చస్తే ఒక ఏడుపు, బతికితే బతుకంతా ఏడుపు
chaste oka edupu, batikite batukanta edupu
If one dies, there is one cry; if one lives, there is crying for a lifetime.
This proverb describes a situation where life is so filled with continuous suffering, misery, or struggle that death is seen as a singular moment of grief for others, whereas living is an endless cycle of pain for the individual. It is used to highlight extreme hardship or a state of perpetual sorrow.
తిన్న కుక్క తినిపోతే, కన్న కుక్కను కట్టేసినారంట.
tinna kukka tinipote, kanna kukkanu kattesinaranta.
While the dog that ate the food ran away, they tied up the dog that saw it happen.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where the actual culprit or wrongdoer escapes, and an innocent bystander or a witness is unfairly blamed or punished for the deed. It highlights a failure of justice or a mistake in identifying the true offender.
అవసరం తీరితే, అక్క మొగుడు కుక్క
avasaram tirite, akka mogudu kukka
Once the need is fulfilled, the sister's husband is treated like a dog.
This proverb describes ingratitude. It is used to mock people who seek help from someone with great respect, but once their work is done or their need is met, they treat that same person with contempt or total disregard.
పల్లె తిరిగినా ఏడే చీరలు, పట్నం తిరిగినా ఏడే చీరలు
palle tirigina ede chiralu, patnam tirigina ede chiralu
Whether you roam the village or the city, you only have seven sarees.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person's basic status, limitations, or fortune remain unchanged regardless of their surroundings or efforts to change location. It implies that changing one's environment doesn't necessarily change one's inherent reality or possessions.
ఊబ నా మగడు ఉండీ ఒకటే లేకా ఒకటి
uba na magadu undi okate leka okati
My husband is a dummy; it's the same whether he is there or not.
This proverb is used to describe a person who is completely useless or ineffective. It implies that their presence provides no benefit, and their absence makes no difference, much like a decorative figure or a person with no initiative.
వెంట్రుక కన్నా ఏడుపాళ్ళు సన్నం, రోకలి కన్నా ఏడుపాళ్ళు లావు
ventruka kanna edupallu sannam, rokali kanna edupallu lavu
Seven times thinner than a hair, seven times thicker than a pestle.
This expression is used to describe something that is highly unpredictable, inconsistent, or extremely versatile in nature. It refers to situations or entities that can fluctuate between extremes—being incredibly delicate or subtle at one moment and heavy or blunt the next. It is often used to describe the complexities of human nature or the unpredictable twists of fate.
కవ్వం కదురు తిరిగిన ఇంట కరువులేదు
kavvam kaduru tirigina inta karuvuledu
There is no famine in a house where the churning rod and the spindle revolve.
This proverb emphasizes the importance of hard work and productivity. The churning rod (kavvam) represents dairy farming and food production, while the spindle (kaduru) represents weaving and household industry. It means that a family that is constantly engaged in labor and domestic crafts will always be prosperous and never face poverty.
ఎదురు తిరిగిన కుక్కను ఏదీ కరవలేదు.
eduru tirigina kukkanu edi karavaledu.
Nothing can bite a dog that turns back to face it.
This proverb emphasizes that when you stand your ground and face a problem or an enemy bravely, they lose their power to harm you. It is used to encourage courage and resilience in the face of adversity, suggesting that fear attracts more trouble while confrontation can end it.