ఘడియ తీరుబాటు లేదు, దమ్మిడి ఆదాయం లేదు.

ghadiya tirubatu ledu, dammidi adayam ledu.

Translation

Not a moment of leisure, not a penny of income.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is extremely busy and hardworking, yet their efforts yield no financial gain or productive results. It highlights a state of being pointlessly or unprofitably occupied.

Related Phrases

A Haji one moment, a Phazi the next

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely fickle or inconsistent in their behavior, decisions, or loyalty. It refers to a person who changes their stance or character very frequently, making them unreliable.

A waste of fodder, but not even a dammidi's worth of work.

This proverb is used to describe someone who consumes a lot of resources (like food or money) but contributes absolutely nothing in terms of productivity. A 'dammidi' was a coin of the smallest denomination in ancient India. It is typically used to criticize laziness or inefficiency.

Not a penny of income, not a moment of leisure.

This expression is used to describe someone who is constantly busy and working hard but without any financial gain or productive results. It highlights the irony of being extremely occupied while remaining poor or unsuccessful.

Neither a string nor a top.

This expression is used to describe someone who lacks any ties, responsibilities, or assets. It often refers to a person who is roaming aimlessly without any sense of direction or accountability, or to a situation that is completely disorganized and lacks a proper basis.

Neither a string nor a top

This expression is used to describe a person who is irresponsible, lacks roots, or has no attachments or accountability. Just as a spinning top cannot be controlled or operated without a string, it refers to someone who is wandering aimlessly or a situation that has no proper foundation or control.

Wealth has no end, and poverty has no beginning.

This proverb highlights the boundlessness of human experience. It suggests that there is no limit to how much wealth one can accumulate (or how much greed one can have), while poverty is a deep abyss where it is often impossible to pinpoint where the struggle truly started or where it might finally resolve. It is used to describe the infinite nature of prosperity and the cycle of deprivation.

Not a moment of leisure, not a penny of earnings

This expression describes a situation where a person is extremely busy and constantly working, yet their hard work yields no financial gain or significant results. It is used to mock someone's unproductive busyness or to lament a period of fruitless labor.

No one can face the sword, and there is no turning back on the word.

This expression is used to describe a person of great power and unwavering integrity. It implies that the person is physically invincible or authoritative (the sword) and that they are exceptionally honorable, always keeping their promises and never retracting what they have said (the word).

Not a moment of leisure, not a penny of income

This expression is used to describe a person who is constantly busy with work or errands but earns absolutely no profit or meaningful reward from their efforts. It highlights a state of unproductive busyness.

Neither the bite of a frog, nor the blow of a Brahmin.

This expression is used to describe something that is completely harmless or insignificant. Since frogs do not bite and Brahmins (traditionally viewed as non-violent scholars) do not strike, the phrase suggests that there is no danger or impact to worry about from a particular source or situation.