గోచికి పెద్ద, అంగవస్త్రముకు చిన్న.
gochiki pedda, angavastramuku chinna.
Too big for a clout, too small for a body-cloth. Neither one thing nor the other. Too little and too much spoils everything. ( Daniah. )* Not too little, not too much. (German.)
This expression is used to describe something that is of an awkward size or quantity, making it useless for any specific purpose. It refers to a situation where a resource is neither small enough to be used for one thing nor large enough to be used for another, rendering it ineffective or redundant.
Related Phrases
చిదిగి పొదిగి చిన్నవానికి పెండ్లి చేసే వరకు పెద్దవాని పెండ్లాము పెద్దలలోకి పోయినదట.
chidigi podigi chinnavaniki pendli chese varaku peddavani pendlamu peddalaloki poyinadata.
When by saving and saving they married the younger son, the elder son's wife went to her ancestors.
This proverb describes a situation where excessive delay or extreme frugality in planning an event leads to the loss of its original purpose or results in another tragedy. It is used when someone takes so much time to organize or save for something that the circumstances change entirely, often making the effort redundant or bittersweet.
కండ్లు పెద్దవి, కడుపు చిన్నది.
kandlu peddavi, kadupu chinnadi.
Eyes are big, stomach is small.
This expression refers to a person whose eyes are bigger than their stomach. It describes a situation where someone takes or orders a lot of food because it looks appealing, but they cannot actually finish it all because they get full quickly. It is used to caution against greed or wastefulness.
చిన్న నోటికి పెద్ద మాట
chinna notiki pedda mata
Big words for a small mouth
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone (often a younger person or someone in a subordinate position) speaks in a manner that is overly ambitious, arrogant, or beyond their age and status. It is often used as a mild rebuke or a way to highlight that someone is talking beyond their experience or authority.
చిన్నక్కను పెద్దక్కను, పెద్దక్కను చిన్నక్కను చేసినట్లు
chinnakkanu peddakkanu, peddakkanu chinnakkanu chesinatlu
Like making the younger sister the older one, and the older sister the younger one.
This expression is used to describe a situation where things are completely mixed up, shuffled, or inverted. It refers to a state of total confusion or an illogical reversal of roles or order.
చిన్నత్త చిన్న పిశాచి, పెద్దత్త పెద్ద పిశాచి
chinnatta chinna pishachi, peddatta pedda pishachi
Younger mother-in-law is a small ghost, elder mother-in-law is a big ghost.
This proverb is used to describe a difficult situation where both available options or people are troublesome, regardless of their status or seniority. It specifically highlights the common domestic trope of friction with mothers-in-law (or aunts), suggesting that both are equally difficult to deal with, differing only in the scale of their nuisance.
చిదికి చిదికి చిన్నవాని పెండ్లి చేసే సరికి, పెద్ద వాని పెండ్లాము పెద్దల లోకి పోయిందట
chidiki chidiki chinnavani pendli chese sariki, pedda vani pendlamu peddala loki poyindata
By the time the youngest son's wedding was arranged with great struggle, the eldest son's wife passed away.
This proverb describes a situation where one problem is solved with extreme difficulty only for another major crisis to occur. It highlights the irony of fate where despite continuous efforts to settle or fix affairs in a family or project, things never reach a state of completion or peace because new setbacks arise immediately.
ఉన్నవాడు ఊరికి పెద్ద, చచ్చినవాడు కాటికి పెద్ద.
unnavadu uriki pedda, chachchinavadu katiki pedda.
He that is alive is the head man of the village, and he that is dead is the head man of the burial ground. A taunt used to one who tries to make out that he is very highly connected.
This proverb highlights the transient nature of power and social status. It suggests that authority and leadership are only relevant while a person is alive and present in society; once deceased, their worldly influence vanishes and they belong only to the graveyard.
విడిచిన ముండ వీధికి పెద్ద, బడి విడిచిన ముండ బజారుకు పెద్ద.
vidichina munda vidhiki pedda, badi vidichina munda bajaruku pedda.
A woman who has left her husband is a leader for the street; a woman who has left her home is a leader for the bazaar.
This is a traditional Telugu proverb (Sameta) used to describe people who, after breaking social or moral boundaries and losing their respectability, try to act as leaders or authoritative figures in public places. It highlights how those who lack discipline in their personal lives often try to dominate others in the community.
అమ్మి చిన్న కమ్మ పెద్ద
ammi chinna kamma pedda
The girl is small, but her earring is big.
This expression is used to describe a situation where an accessory, a side issue, or a minor detail overshadows the main person or subject. It is often applied when someone wears ornaments or clothes that are disproportionately large for their stature, or when the overhead costs of a project exceed the actual value of the project itself.
బ్రహ్మాస్త్రం
brahmastram
The weapon of Brahma
Refers to a final, most powerful, and infallible solution to a problem. It is used to describe an ultimate tactic or argument that is guaranteed to succeed when all other options have failed.