గంప లాభం, చిల్లి తీసినట్లు

gampa labham, chilli tisinatlu

Translation

Like earning a basketful of profit, only for it to drain through a hole.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where a person makes a significant profit or gain, but it is immediately lost or wasted due to a single flaw, bad habit, or unexpected expense. It highlights the irony of large gains being rendered useless by a small, persistent leakage or mismanagement.

Related Phrases

Like trying to pluck feathers from a chicken egg

This expression is used to describe someone who tries to find faults where none exist, or someone who engages in unnecessary, nitpicking, and impossible tasks just to be difficult.

Like removing the strands from a net-bag (Chikkani)

This expression describes a slow, tedious, or deliberate process of dismantling something or creating trouble. It specifically refers to the act of unraveling a rope bag (chikkani) strand by strand, implying a task that is done with calculated effort, often to cause subtle harm or to systematically strip away resources.

A plucked chicken and a leaf with its ribs removed.

This expression is used to describe a person or a situation that has been stripped of all strength, dignity, or resources. Just as a chicken without feathers or a leaf without its veins/ribs is weak and lacks structure, it refers to someone who is left completely helpless or impoverished.

A quarter loss for an eighth of a profit.

This proverb describes a situation where the cost, investment, or loss incurred in a venture is significantly higher than the actual profit gained. It is used to criticize poor financial decisions or tasks where the effort outweighs the benefit.

Like plucking seedlings from a flat rock.

This expression is used to describe a situation or task that is extremely difficult, futile, or yields very little result despite great effort. Just as it is impossible for seeds to grow deep roots or thrive on a solid rock surface, attempting to get something out of a stubborn person or a hopeless situation is compared to this act.

If one pulls towards the river, another pulls towards the cremation ground.

This proverb describes a situation where there is a total lack of coordination or cooperation between people. It is used when individuals work at cross-purposes or pull in opposite directions, making it impossible to achieve a common goal.

Like the flood subsiding. Perfect stillness after a tumult. After a storm comes a calm.

This expression is used to describe something that has been done with extreme precision, neatness, or perfection. It is most commonly used to compliment beautiful handwriting, straight lines, or a very well-executed task that looks flawlessly continuous and smooth.

Like extracting fiber from hair

This expression describes a task that is practically impossible or an attempt to find something where it doesn't exist. It is used to mock someone who is being overly pedantic, searching for non-existent flaws, or attempting a futile, logic-defying action.

Like removing a hair from butter

This expression is used to describe a task performed with extreme ease, smoothness, and without causing any disturbance or damage. It signifies a delicate operation executed so perfectly that the surroundings remain unaffected, often used to describe resolving a complex issue effortlessly.

The profit of the bag also took away the hole.

This proverb describes a situation where an attempt to gain profit or solve a problem ends up causing a total loss, often exceeding the original capital. It is used when someone's greed or a bad investment results in losing even what they originally had, much like a hole in a bag leaking out both the profit and the contents.