గుజ్టానికి కొమ్ములు మొలిస్తే ఒకరినీ ఉండనీయదు.

gujtaniki kommulu moliste okarini undaniyadu.

Translation

If a short person (or a pigmy) grows horns, they won't let anyone else live in peace.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who is naturally mean or troublesome, and who becomes even more arrogant or destructive when they gain a little bit of power or status. It suggests that such individuals use their newfound influence to harass everyone around them.

Related Phrases

Like checking the whorls (auspicious marks) of a rented horse.

This expression is used to describe someone who is overly critical or fastidious about something that is temporary, borrowed, or not theirs to keep. Just as it is pointless to check for permanent luck-bringing marks on a horse you are only renting for a short journey, it is unnecessary to find minor flaws in things of transient value or temporary use.

If you cut one person, does milk come out, and if you cut another, does blood?

This rhetorical question is used to emphasize human equality. It suggests that despite differences in social status, wealth, or caste, all human beings are fundamentally the same and experience pain and suffering in the same way. It is typically used to challenge discrimination or unfair treatment.

It doesn't let you cook and see, and it doesn't stop burning.

This expression is used to describe a problematic, irritable, or difficult person or situation that is constantly bothersome. It refers to a fire that is too smokey to allow cooking but too stubborn to go out, representing a state of constant annoyance that neither resolves nor allows progress.

If a cigar is lit, it won't let you talk.

This expression is used to describe a person who is so self-centered or obsessed with their own activity that they completely ignore others or refuse to engage in conversation. It can also refer to a situation where a small task or habit becomes a distraction that prevents meaningful communication.

The co-wife doesn't let one thrive, and the fishhook doesn't let the bait rise.

This proverb describes a situation where a person is trapped between two obstructive or competing forces that prevent any progress. It is used to express how internal friction or constant interference from others can make it impossible for someone to succeed or move forward in their life or work.

Are the antlers a burden to the deer?

This proverb is used to convey that natural responsibilities or inherent duties are never a burden to those who possess them. Just as a deer does not feel the weight of its own horns, an individual finds the strength to carry their own specific roles or family responsibilities naturally.

Boiled grains are a waste for a blind horse.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where high-quality resources or efforts are wasted on something or someone that cannot utilize them effectively. It suggests that providing expensive or premium things (like 'guggillu' or boiled chickpeas) to a blind horse is futile because the horse cannot perform the tasks expected of it, making the investment a loss.

A horse must have a neigh, and music must have a smile.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of appropriate expression and appreciation. Just as a horse is identified by its neighing, music should evoke a pleasant expression or a smile (ikilintha) from the listener. It is used to suggest that every action or art form has a natural, fitting response or characteristic that defines its quality.

For a blind owl, there is only one path.

This expression is used to describe a person who lacks options, flexibility, or creative thinking, and thus follows a single fixed routine or path out of necessity or lack of vision. It suggests that when one is limited in perception or skill, they are forced to stick to the only method they know.

Like a horned animal hitting someone wearing a coarse blanket.

This expression is used to describe a situation where one person's misfortune or mistake is exacerbated by another's aggression or when someone is unfairly targeted while already in a vulnerable or humble state. It also suggests that a simple appearance (like wearing a rough blanket) doesn't protect one from the 'horns' of life's problems or aggressive people.