గచ్చకాయల కుండవలె

gachchakayala kundavale

Translation

Like a pot full of fever nuts (Gachakayalu)

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation or a person that is extremely unstable, noisy, or prone to sudden disruption. Since Gachakayalu (fever nuts) are hard, round, and smooth, a pot filled with them will rattle loudly at the slightest touch and the nuts will easily spill out and scatter everywhere if the pot tips even slightly.

Related Phrases

Will a pony bought for the price of gray nicker nuts jump over a moat?

This proverb is used to illustrate that you get what you pay for. If you invest very little or buy something cheap/low-quality, you cannot expect it to perform heavy or difficult tasks. It highlights the relationship between quality, cost, and capability.

Like a teacher's watermelon

This expression refers to a person or thing that is well-guarded, well-cared for, or treated with extreme caution and high regard. Historically, it stems from a story where a teacher's watermelon was protected so strictly that it became a symbol for something highly prioritized or carefully watched over.

Like wood apples in a winnowing tray.

This expression describes a situation where things or people are scattered, unorganized, and constantly rolling or moving about without stability. It is often used to refer to a lack of unity or a group where members are not cooperating and are heading in different directions.

Even for a piece of jaggery the size of a fever nut, the oil mill must be set up.

This expression means that regardless of how small or simple a task may be, one must still follow the necessary procedures, use the proper tools, or exert the required effort to complete it successfully. It emphasizes that there are no shortcuts to certain systematic processes.

Without the buttermilk in the stomach even moving

This expression is used to describe a state of absolute comfort, ease, or luxury where a person doesn't have to perform any physical labor or face any hardships. It literally suggests a life so stable and smooth that even the liquid in one's stomach remains undisturbed.

The pot broken by the daughter-in-law is a new pot, while the pot broken by the mother-in-law is a worthless pot.

This proverb highlights double standards and hypocrisy in judging actions. It refers to how people often exaggerate the mistakes of others (the daughter-in-law) while minimizing or making excuses for their own or their favorites' mistakes (the mother-in-law).

Like throwing a fever nut (Gachakaya) into a potter's kiln.

This expression is used to describe an action that causes total destruction or immense chaos. When a fever nut (which contains air/moisture) is thrown into a hot kiln, it explodes, potentially breaking all the unbaked clay pots inside. It refers to a small act that leads to a disproportionately large disaster.

Like throwing a Gachcha nut into a potter's kiln. If the nut of this tree be thrown into a kiln, it will burst, and break the pots. A great injury done by a slight action.

This expression refers to a small action that causes a disproportionately large amount of damage or chaos. A grey nicker bean (gachakaya) has a hard shell that explodes with a loud bang when heated; if thrown into a potter's kiln, it can cause all the delicate earthenware inside to crack or shatter. It is used to describe a person who enters a peaceful situation and creates total ruin with a single word or deed.

It should look like grieving while also applying a branding iron.

This proverb describes a hypocritical or clever action where someone pretends to sympathize with a person while simultaneously causing them harm or delivering a harsh punishment. It is used to describe situations where a person acts out of self-interest or discipline under the guise of concern.

Pretend to condole when you cauterize.

This proverb describes a situation where someone pretends to be sympathetic or helpful while actually causing harm or dealing a severe blow. It is used to describe a calculated action that appears kind on the surface but is intended to teach a painful lesson or inflict damage, or to describe someone who acts with duplicity.