ఎవరివల్ల చెడ్డావోయ్ అంటే నోటి వల్ల చెడ్డానన్నట్లు

This refers to one already spoilt spoiling all the others around. Generally, when one is in bad shape – especially, morally – one would spread one’s vice to others also. Such people should be avoided by all means.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a good thing becomes useless or ruined due to its association with a bad environment or flawed foundation. Just as pure water becomes undrinkable when it flows onto salty/barren land, a person's good qualities or a project's potential can be wasted if the surrounding circumstances are inherently defective.

This proverb describes a situation where people harm themselves more than others through their stubbornness or ego. A son-in-law staying away out of anger loses the hospitality/respect he would have received, and a daughter refusing food to protest only ends up hungry and weak. It is used to advise against cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

This proverb describes a situation where an unreliable or irresponsible person is given a task or an object, which they will inevitably ruin or lose. It is used when someone entrusts something valuable to a person known for their carelessness or bad character, leading to a predictable failure.

This expression is used to mock people who make obvious or redundant predictions about events that are already happening. It refers to a situation where an astrologer predicts a flood while it is already raining heavily, making his 'prophecy' useless and laughable.

This proverb describes how certain conditions lead to a gradual decline in quality or health. It suggests that a house becomes unmanageable and deteriorated when it is too cramped or poorly planned (irakatam), and similarly, a person's physical health is ruined by chronic aches or rheumatic pains (vayuvu noppulu). It is used to highlight how structural or internal flaws can lead to total ruin.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone has already lost their reputation or is in a completely compromised position, and then tries to hide or be modest about minor things. It suggests that when the worst has already happened or been exposed, trivial attempts to maintain dignity or secrecy are hypocritical or pointless.

This proverb highlights the consequences of speaking without thinking or having a 'loose tongue'. It is used to describe a situation where a person brings trouble or ruin upon themselves because of their own indiscreet, boastful, or offensive speech, rather than being harmed by external enemies.

This proverb is used to encourage resilience and offer perspective after a failure or a mistake. It means that falling down, making an error, or facing a setback does not diminish a person's character or value. It emphasizes that failure is a part of life and what matters is the ability to get back up rather than the fall itself.

This proverb describes a situation where one wastes valuable resources on a hopeless or unproductive cause. Just as sowing good seeds in a barren or bad field results in a loss of both the seeds and the effort, this expression is used when someone invests time, money, or energy into something that yields no results.

Pongali is a preparation of rice offered to the fields after the harvest. In this case the crop had failed and the offering had to be made from the old store. It was therefore a needless ceremony.