ఎత్తివచ్చిన కాపురానికి ఏ కాలూనినా ఒకటే.

ettivachchina kapuraniki e kalunina okate.

Translation

For a household that has already been uprooted, it doesn't matter which foot you step forward with.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation that is already ruined or in complete disarray. It suggests that when someone has already lost everything or is in a desperate state, minor decisions or further misfortunes do not make a significant difference. It is often said when someone is indifferent to further risks because they have already faced the worst.

Related Phrases

Like returning to see a household that one once built and left.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who was previously in charge or responsible for a task returns merely as a visitor or observer, often with a sense of nostalgia or to see how things are being managed in their absence. It highlights the transition from a role of active responsibility to one of a detached onlooker.

Calamities do not stay forever (do not make a permanent home).

This expression is used to offer comfort and hope during difficult times. It implies that troubles and misfortunes are temporary phases of life and will eventually pass, just as a guest leaves after a stay rather than becoming a permanent resident.

Machakamma reaching puberty is the same whether it is in Makha or Pubba stars.

This proverb is used to describe a situation or a person's involvement that is completely inconsequential or makes no difference to the outcome. It suggests that certain events are so trivial that the timing or specific circumstances surrounding them do not matter at all.

My useless husband being in the village or being in the army is one and the same.

This proverb describes a person who is so incompetent or lazy that their presence or absence makes no difference. It is used to mock someone whose contribution to a task or society is nil, regardless of the situation they are in.

Whether a blind eye is closed or open, it is all the same.

This expression is used to describe a person or a thing that is completely useless or ineffective. It suggests that the presence or absence of certain actions/tools doesn't matter when the core functionality is missing. It is often used to refer to someone who is indifferent to what is happening around them or an effort that yields no result regardless of the approach.

Whether there are three hundred and sixty-four knots of hair or thirty-six small buns, it is all the same.

This expression is used to describe a situation where there is no real difference between the choices or outcomes presented, despite how they are counted or categorized. It implies that a large quantity of something disorganized or fragmented is ultimately equal to a smaller quantity of something similarly messy; basically saying 'it's all the same mess' or 'six of one, half a dozen of the other'.

A chest filled with mucus and a fruit growing inside a thorny bush are the same.

This proverb describes something that is technically present but utterly useless or inaccessible. Just as a fruit stuck deep inside a thick thorny bush cannot be harvested or enjoyed, a person who possesses wealth or talent but is too stingy or restricted to use it for any good purpose is considered useless to society.

Whether an old cow's dung is still inside it or in the shed, it is all the same.

This proverb refers to someone or something that has become so old or useless that their actions, presence, or contributions no longer make any practical difference to the situation. It is used to describe a state of total insignificance or irrelevance.

The past is better than the future. "The good old times."

This expression is used to reflect on the past with nostalgia or to express skepticism about the future. It suggests that people often perceive the present or the unknown future as more difficult or uncertain compared to the 'good old days' they have already experienced.

For a wedding that is bound to fail, it is all the same even if you offer a helping hand.

This proverb is used to describe a situation or task that is fundamentally flawed or destined for failure from the start. In such cases, no matter how much effort, support, or 'legs' (assistance) you provide, the outcome will remain the same. It suggests that some things are beyond saving despite intervention.