ఎనుముకు మేతవేసి ఆవును పితికినట్లు.

This expression refers to a situation where someone expects a result from a person or entity while putting effort or resources into a completely different, unrelated place. It highlights the foolishness of expecting a reward where no work was done or expecting an outcome from the wrong source.

This expression is used to describe a contribution or an addition that is so insignificantly small compared to the vastness of the whole that it makes no difference at all. It is similar to the English idiom 'A drop in the bucket'.

This expression refers to someone who gives something away as a gift or charity but still tries to maintain control over it or enjoy its benefits. It is used to describe a person who wants the reputation of being generous without actually letting go of the advantages of the object donated.

This proverb describes a situation where someone makes a large, unnecessary, or expensive investment or commitment just to make use of something small or trivial they acquired for free. It highlights a lack of foresight and disproportionate decision-making.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone performs a difficult or significant task for their own benefit, but an undeserving or lazy bystander ends up profiting from it. It highlights that the primary actor's intention was not to serve the opportunist.

This proverb is used to describe a person who has no productive work to do and ends up engaging in useless, absurd, or impossible tasks just to stay busy. It highlights the foolishness of idle minds.

This proverb is used to describe a foolish person who ignores a superior or beneficial option in favor of a useless or inferior one. It highlights the lack of common sense in choosing something that yields a poor result when a much better alternative is readily available.

This expression is used to describe an inseparable bond or a deep friendship. Just as salt dissolves completely into food and cannot be separated once mixed, it refers to people or things that have become perfectly integrated or united.

This proverb highlights the difference between investments that yield long-term, easy-to-manage benefits versus those that require high maintenance. In traditional agrarian culture, a cow's maintenance is cheaper and its products are considered sacred/pure, making it a safer debt-funded investment. A buffalo, while giving more milk, requires much more fodder, water, and care, making it a risky choice if one is already in debt.

This expression describes an illogical or foolish expectation where someone invests resources or effort in one place (often the wrong place) and expects results from another. It highlights the absurdity of hoping for a specific outcome without putting in the relevant effort or supporting the right source.