ఎత్తెత్తి పోసినా ఇత్తడి బంగారమగునె

ettetti posina ittadi bangaramagune

Translation

Even if you pour it from a height, can brass ever become gold?

Meaning

This proverb is used to emphasize that a person's inherent nature or character cannot be changed by superficial actions or outward shows. Just as brass cannot turn into gold regardless of how it is handled or presented, a person lacking integrity cannot truly become noble just by acting the part.

Related Phrases

You get gold out of earth and earth out of gold. i. e. you buy land with money.

This proverb highlights the unpredictable nature of luck and timing. It suggests that when one is going through a fortunate period, even a worthless effort (mud) turns into wealth (gold), but during an unfortunate period, even a valuable investment (gold) can turn into a loss (mud). It is often used to describe the irony of success and failure.

The rich man's ring is gold; the poor man's ring is brass.

This proverb highlights societal bias and how people's perceptions change based on a person's financial status. It means that if a wealthy person does or says something, it is highly valued and respected (like gold), but if a poor person does the exact same thing, it is disregarded or seen as cheap (like brass).

The decoration is proportional to the gold available.

This proverb means that the quality or extent of a result depends on the resources or effort invested. It is used to describe situations where you get exactly what you pay for, or where the outcome is limited by the budget or materials provided.

Even if the gold belongs to his own mother, a goldsmith will not spare it.

This proverb is used to describe people who are so professional, greedy, or habituated to their craft that they do not show bias or mercy even to their closest kin. It specifically refers to the old stereotype that a goldsmith invariably steals a small portion of gold during the making of jewelry, regardless of who the customer is.

Woman is Goddess Lakshmi, man is gold

This expression highlights the traditional roles and values in a family. It suggests that a woman brings prosperity and grace (like the Goddess Lakshmi) to a home, while the man represents the wealth and strength (like gold) that provides security. It is often used to emphasize the importance of both genders in maintaining a balanced household.

A brass chain for the wife at home, and a gold chain for the woman in the street.

This proverb is used to criticize someone who neglects or mistreats their own family or those close to them while showing excessive generosity or kindness to outsiders and strangers to gain social prestige or out of misplaced priorities.

Touching mud turns it into gold, touching gold turns it into mud

This proverb describes the extremes of luck or fortune. It refers to a person's current 'luck streak'—when someone is highly successful, even their smallest efforts (mud) yield great results (gold). Conversely, when someone is going through a period of extreme misfortune, even their most valuable assets or best efforts fail miserably.

Like gold turning into mud and mud turning into gold.

This expression describes the volatility of luck or fortune. It refers to a situation where a person with bad luck can turn a valuable opportunity (gold) into a failure (mud), while a person with good luck or skill can turn even a worthless thing into something precious.

No matter how many times it is purified in fire, brass remains brass and gold remains gold.

This expression is used to convey that the inherent nature or character of a person or object cannot be changed by external processes or superficial treatments. Just as intense heat cannot turn a base metal like brass into gold, artificial efforts cannot change a person's fundamental traits or true value.

A brass parrot for the house, a golden parrot for the outside.

This proverb describes a person who presents a false, prestigious image to the world while living in poor or mediocre conditions at home. It is used to critique someone who prioritizes outward show and vanity over their actual internal reality or family's well-being.