గబ్బిలమువలె అటు పక్షీ కాదు, ఇటు జంతువూ కాదు

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who is fickle, irresponsible, or lacks judgment is given control over something dangerous or sensitive. Just as a monkey doesn't know how to handle a snake safely—either hurting itself, the snake, or others by swinging it around—giving power or a delicate task to an incompetent person leads to unpredictable and harmful consequences.

This proverb emphasizes self-reliance and the transient nature of external aid. Just as manure only provides a temporary boost to the soil's fertility and eventually depletes, words or promises from others are not a reliable substitute for one's own actions or tangible support. It suggests that one should build their own strengths rather than depending on borrowed resources or empty talk.

This expression is used to emphasize that things or people have their own inherent nature and limitations. One cannot change their fundamental character or identity to become something superior or entirely different just by imitation or wishful thinking.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely sluggish, lazy, or motionless. It refers to the belief that a snake becomes slow and inactive after consuming soil/prey, and is used to mock someone's lack of energy or activity.

This expression refers to a person who is stuck in a state of limbo or an ambiguous situation where they cannot benefit from either side of a status. Just as a Sanyasi (ascetic) is alive but has renounced the world, his wife remains technically married but cannot enjoy the companionship or status of a normal married life, yet she isn't a widow either. It is used to describe situations where someone is neither here nor there, lacking a clear identity or benefit.

This proverb is used to mock an individual's arrogance or delusions of grandeur. It describes a person who overestimates their own importance or capabilities, believing that a massive task or organization is succeeding solely because of their insignificant efforts.

Said of a man who thinks everything depends on himself.

This proverb describes a situation where there is a stark contrast between a person's high-sounding reputation or name and their actual poor reality or character. It is used to mock hypocrisy or the irony of someone having a prestigious title while living in squalor or behaving poorly.

The "house name" is the gentilitious or family name ; it precedes the proper name. A fine name, but a paltry fellow.

This proverb describes the plight of a person caught between two conflicting parties or demanding situations, making it impossible to satisfy both. It is commonly used to highlight the struggle of someone who loses their peace or identity while trying to balance the needs or arguments of two equally dominant people.

This expression is used to describe a person who is feeling trapped, suppressed, or constrained by their circumstances. It signifies a state of being confined in a small space or situation where one lacks freedom of movement or action, yet remains potentially dangerous or restless.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely lazy, lethargic, or utterly useless. It suggests that the person lacks the basic initiative or physical activity expected of a human being, and doesn't even possess the agility or energy of a monkey.