ఏటిమంటికి బీటమన్ను తోడయినట్టు
etimantiki bitamannu todayinattu
Like the cracked mud of a dried-up riverbed being joined by more cracked earth.
This proverb describes a situation where one misfortune or weakness is compounded by another similar trouble. It is used to illustrate the accumulation of problems or when a person who is already in a vulnerable state receives help from someone equally incapable, resulting in no real improvement.
Related Phrases
మింటికి మంటికి ముడివేసినట్లు
mintiki mantiki mudivesinatlu
Like tying a knot between the sky and the earth
This expression is used to describe an impossible task, a highly exaggerated statement, or a clever person who can bridge two completely unrelated or extreme things through their talk or actions. It is often used to describe someone who spins tall tales or attempts to reconcile vast differences.
కాలిన మన్నూ కాలని మన్నూ అంటవు
kalina mannu kalani mannu antavu
Burnt earth will not adhere to unburnt. People in different positions in life cannot be very intimate.
This expression is used to describe two people or entities that are fundamentally incompatible or cannot reconcile their differences. Just as burnt clay/soil loses its binding property and cannot merge with raw, unburnt soil, people with opposing natures or those who have had a major falling out cannot be easily brought back together.
వేణ్ణీళ్ళకు చన్నీళ్ళు తోడైనట్టు
vennillaku channillu todainattu
Like adding cold water to hot water
This expression is used to describe a situation where a small amount of help or contribution is added to a larger effort. It signifies how even a minor assistance can complement or complete a task, much like how cold water helps bring boiling water to a usable temperature.
కారుచిచ్చుకు గాడ్పు తోడైనట్లు
karuchichchuku gadpu todainatlu
Like a wildfire being joined by a strong wind.
This expression is used to describe a situation where an already disastrous or problematic event is made significantly worse by an additional factor. It is similar to the English idiom 'Adding fuel to the fire'.
కంటికి కలక వంటికి పోటు
kantiki kalaka vantiki potu
Infection to the eye, pain to the body
This expression is used to describe a situation that is extremely annoying, constant, and difficult to ignore. Just as an eye infection causes persistent discomfort and a body ache makes one restless, this phrase refers to a person or a problem that causes continuous irritation or trouble.
ఎలుగుబంటికి తలనీలాలు తీసినట్టు
elugubantiki talanilalu tisinattu
Like pulling a bear's hairs out with tweezers. An endless business. A cask that will never fill. (Greek.)
This expression is used to describe a task that is extremely difficult, messy, or practically impossible to complete because of the nature of the subject. Just as shaving a bear would be a chaotic and dangerous ordeal, this refers to situations that are more trouble than they are worth.
రమ్మన్నారే తిమ్మన్న బంతికి అన్నట్లు
rammannare timmanna bantiki annatlu
Like saying 'I was invited to Thimmanna's feast'
This expression is used to describe a person who behaves with excessive entitlement or self-importance at an event just because they were invited. It highlights the irony of someone acting like they are the guest of honor or the owner of the place when they are just one of many invitees.
ఆలులేని బడాయి నీళ్ళు తోడమన్నట్లు.
aluleni badayi nillu todamannatlu.
Like a man who boasts without having a wife, asking her to draw water.
This proverb is used to describe someone who makes grand, empty boasts or gives orders based on things they don't actually possess. It highlights the absurdity of pretending to have authority or status when the foundation for it is missing.
నిప్పుకు నెయ్యి తోడయినట్లు
nippuku neyyi todayinatlu
Like adding ghee to fire
This expression is used to describe a situation where an already intense emotion or conflict is further escalated or fueled by an additional factor. Similar to the English idiom 'adding fuel to the fire,' it signifies making a bad situation worse or making an existing anger even more explosive.
గాలికి పోయిన పేలపిండి భగవదర్పితమన్నట్టు
galiki poyina pelapindi bhagavadarpitamannattu
Offering to God the flour which had been blown away by the wind. Let that which is lost be for God. What the abbot of Bamba cannot eat, he gives away for the good of his soul. (Spanish.)
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone loses something by accident or due to their own carelessness, but then pretends they gave it away as a generous act of charity or sacrifice. It mocks the hypocrisy of turning an involuntary loss into a fake act of virtue.