ఏటి వంకలెవరు తీరుస్తారు? కుక్క తోక ఎవరు చక్కజేస్తారు?

eti vankalevaru tirustaru? kukka toka evaru chakkajestaru?

Translation

Who can straighten the curves of a river? Who can straighten a dog's tail?

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation or a person's character that is inherently flawed or crooked and cannot be changed despite any amount of effort. It highlights the futility of trying to reform someone who is naturally stubborn or habitually prone to bad behavior.

Related Phrases

Like a fox coming to straighten a dog's tail.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where an unqualified person tries to fix something they don't understand, or when someone uses a deceptive or useless method to solve a problem. It implies that the intervention is both unnecessary and likely motivated by trickery, as a fox cannot truly 'fix' a dog's nature.

When asked who would protect his barren cow, he replied that the money in his pouch would protect it.

This expression highlights how people with immense wealth believe that their money can solve any problem or provide security for even the most useless or unproductive assets. It is used to describe the arrogance or over-reliance on financial power.

Can those who cannot straighten a dog's tail straighten the bend of a river?

This proverb is used to mock people who attempt grand, impossible tasks when they have already failed at much smaller, simpler ones. It highlights the incompetence or overambition of an individual who cannot handle basic responsibilities yet claims to solve large-scale problems.

If your own people pull you deep (into trouble), strangers will pull you to the shore.

This proverb highlights that sometimes those close to us can be more harmful or detrimental to our progress than strangers. It is often used to describe situations where family or friends cause difficulties, while unexpected help comes from outsiders.

What you do with this hand, you will experience with the other hand.

This expression is similar to 'As you sow, so shall you reap.' It implies that the consequences of one's actions—whether good or bad—will inevitably catch up to them, often sooner than expected. It is used to remind people that their current deeds determine their future outcomes.

If everyone climbs into the palanquin, who will be there to carry it?

This proverb is used to highlight the necessity of a division of labor. It means that in any society or project, everyone cannot be a leader or enjoy high status simultaneously; some people must perform the actual work or supportive tasks for the system to function. It is often used when everyone wants to be the boss but no one wants to do the work.

Who are the mourners over people that die every day ? Those who always say their death is near. Said of a man continually requiring to be corrected in his work.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person constantly creates or faces the same trouble. When someone is perpetually in a state of self-inflicted misery or repetitive drama, others eventually lose sympathy and stop caring or helping. It highlights the exhaustion of empathy toward those who do not learn from their mistakes or who constantly complain about recurring issues.

If sisters-in-law do not cook, who will serve the rice meal?

This proverb is used to highlight dependency on those who manage the household. It suggests that if the primary caretakers or those responsible for a task do not perform their duties, others will inevitably suffer or go hungry. It emphasizes the importance of acknowledging the role of family members who sustain the home.

If the members of your family point their fingers at you, the outsiders will point their legs.

This proverb highlights that if family members disrespect or expose the weaknesses of their own kin, outsiders will feel emboldened to treat them with even greater contempt or cause more significant harm. It emphasizes the importance of family unity and loyalty in maintaining social standing.

There is no one to soothe, no one to resolve, and no one to lift you up if you fall to the bottom.

This expression describes a state of total helplessness and isolation. It is used when someone has no family, friends, or support system to offer comfort in grief, solve their problems, or help them recover from a downfall or financial crisis.