ఏనుగుమీద పొయ్యేవానిని సున్నమడిగినట్లు

This proverb describes a situation of extreme foolishness or misplaced priorities. It refers to someone who ignores a genuine necessity (provisions for a long journey to another village) but insists on providing for someone performing a trivial, short-term task (going to the outskirts for nature's call). It is used to mock people who waste resources on unnecessary things while neglecting essential needs.

This expression is used to describe an unreasonable or cruel demand for money or taxes from someone who is already struggling with a heavy burden or earning a meager living. It highlights the absurdity of taxing the very basic means of survival or small manual labor.

This expression is used to describe an action that makes a bad situation even worse or intensifies an already heated conflict. It is similar to the English idiom 'adding fuel to the fire,' though it specifically uses the imagery of hot water being ineffective or aggravating to a flame.

This expression describes a situation where someone asks for something very small or insignificant from a person who is in a high position, a hurry, or currently engaged in a much larger, grander task. In the past, people chewing betel leaves would need lime (sunnam), and asking someone atop an elephant to stop just for a pinch of lime is considered impractical and foolish.

This expression is used to describe people who have a temporary or fleeting connection to a place, project, or situation. It implies that transient visitors or those without a permanent stake will not invest effort, time, or resources into improving or maintaining something they do not own or intend to stay with for long.

This expression is used to describe an awkward or burdensome situation where one has to constantly look after or accompany someone who is already grown up or a task that has become too large to handle easily. It often refers to the social and protective responsibility a parent feels for a daughter of marriageable age in traditional contexts, implying a sense of constant vigilance or a lingering responsibility that one cannot easily set aside.

This expression describes an absurd or impossible request made at an inappropriate time or situation. Lime (sunnam) is typically used for chewing betel leaves and is carried in small containers. It is illogical to stop someone high up on an elephant to ask for something so trivial and physically difficult to reach, signifying a lack of common sense in making requests.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone unnecessarily invites trouble or a problem that was not meant for them. It refers to the act of voluntarily involving oneself in an issue that was passing by, resulting in self-inflicted hardship.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone asks for help or a basic necessity, but instead of being helped, they are treated cruelly or given something harmful. It highlights the act of adding insult to injury or responding to a genuine plea with a malicious action.

This expression describes an act of extreme greed or unreasonable demands. It refers to a situation where a person who is already struggling with a heavy burden is further troubled by someone demanding taxes or fees for that very labor. It is used when authorities or individuals impose unfair costs on basic necessities or hard-earned work.