గోడకు పూసిన సున్నము విడెములోనికి వచ్చునా?

This proverb is used to describe someone who is extremely stingy or miserly. It highlights the futility of trying to use something intended for one purpose (lime used for whitewashing walls) for another more refined purpose (edible lime used in 'paan' or betel leaf preparation) just to save money. It suggests that quality and suitability matter, and being cheap to an extreme is foolish.

This proverb describes investments or expenses that yield no return. Just as whitewash stays on the wall and cannot be reclaimed, money spent on fleeting pleasures or unproductive people is lost forever. It is used to warn someone about wasting resources on things that provide no long-term value or recovery.

This proverb is used to warn against spending money on useless or unproductive pursuits where there is no chance of recovery. Just as lime becomes part of the wall and cannot be reclaimed, money spent on fleeting pleasures or with untrustworthy people is gone forever.

This proverb describes a situation where resources (money or effort) are spent with no possibility of recovery or return. Just as you cannot retrieve whitewash once it is applied to a wall, money spent on fleeting, unproductive pleasures or given to unreliable people is gone forever. It is used to warn someone about wasteful expenditure.

This proverb is based on the traditional Indian habit of chewing betel leaves (paan), which requires slaked lime (sunnam). Traditionally, lime production was a sign of a prosperous or active settlement. Metaphorically, it implies that if basic social or infrastructural necessities are missing in a place, one cannot expect to find sustenance or a livelihood there. It highlights that certain conditions must be met for a community to thrive.

This expression is used to describe something that is given very reluctantly or something that is offered in such a small quantity that it is almost negligible. In traditional culture, Vaidika priests were known for their frugality and would often part with items (like betel leaves/taambulam) with great hesitation.

This expression is used to describe people who have a temporary or fleeting connection to a place, project, or situation. It implies that transient visitors or those without a permanent stake will not invest effort, time, or resources into improving or maintaining something they do not own or intend to stay with for long.

This proverb is used to emphasize that borrowed money or resources are not a permanent or reliable solution for immediate, basic needs. Just as one cannot rely on the uncertainty of getting a loan when they are starving, one should focus on self-reliance and earning their own living rather than depending on others for essential survival.

This proverb is used to emphasize that taking a simple preventive measure or securing something properly can save one from significant future trouble or harassment. It suggests that being proactive and setting boundaries (metaphorically 'latching the door') prevents unwanted problems from entering one's life.

In Telugu culture, chewing betel leaves (paan) is incomplete and tasteless without 'sunnam' (lime). This proverb uses that analogy to describe a life devoid of joy or comfort as being dull, incomplete, and without essence. It is used to express the sadness of a life filled only with hardship.