హాస్యగానికి తేలు కుట్టినట్లు, కోతికి దయ్యం పట్టినట్లు.

hasyaganiki telu kuttinatlu, kotiki dayyam pattinatlu.

Translation

Like a comedian bitten by a scorpion, or a monkey possessed by a ghost.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe situations where someone's genuine distress or serious problems are dismissed as a joke or ignored because of their reputation. Just as people might laugh thinking a comedian is acting when they are actually in pain, or fail to notice a monkey's erratic behavior because monkeys are naturally hyperactive, it highlights the irony of being ignored when you most need help.

Related Phrases

Like paying money to get stung by a scorpion.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone spends money or effort only to invite trouble or harm upon themselves. It refers to self-inflicted misery or bad investments that lead to painful consequences.

Like a thief, stung by a scorpion.

This refers to some criminal who cannot even complain. If a person is doing something criminal, he cannot complain against a natural problem/discomfort he has to face. The moral is that it is better not to commit blunders one may find it difficult to get out of them.

The incident of the comedian falling into a well.

This expression refers to a situation where a serious problem or a genuine mishap is mistaken for a joke or a prank because of the person involved. It is used when someone's past behavior (like constant joking) causes others to ignore their genuine cries for help, or when a situation is handled with lack of seriousness until it is too late.

Like a robber stung by a scorpion. A man does not cry out when he suffers from his own folly.

This expression describes a situation where someone is suffering or facing a problem but cannot complain or cry out for help because doing so would reveal their own wrongdoings or secrets. Just as a thief cannot scream when stung by a scorpion while stealing for fear of getting caught, it refers to a state of silent, helpless suffering.

Like a monkey bitten by a scorpion

This expression is used to describe a person who is naturally restless or mischievous, but becomes even more hyperactive, erratic, or uncontrollable due to a specific provocation or situation. It highlights a state of extreme agitation added to an already unstable personality.

Like a scorpion stinging a jester. No one believes it. One may cry " Wolf !" too often. క్ష.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a person who is usually funny or non-serious is genuinely suffering or in trouble, but others mistake it for a joke or part of an act. It refers to a tragedy that is perceived as comedy by observers, leading to a lack of sympathy or help when it is actually needed.

Whatever one touches/holds, it is as if a ghost has possessed it.

This expression is used to describe someone who goes to extremes or becomes obsessively persistent in whatever task they undertake. It can also refer to someone who consistently encounters bad luck or complications in every endeavor they start, as if it were cursed or jinxed.

The secret of Chidambaram

This expression refers to an unsolvable mystery or something that is intentionally kept obscure and beyond common understanding. It is used to describe a complex situation, a deep secret, or a riddle that remains unexplained despite efforts to understand it. In common parlance, it refers to something hidden in plain sight that requires deep insight to grasp.

A donkey for music and a monkey for comedy.

This expression is used to mock someone who lacks talent or grace in their actions. It compares a person's poor singing to the braying of a donkey and their awkward attempts at humor or behavior to the antics of a monkey. It is often used to describe someone who is totally unfit for the task they are attempting.

When the old widow babbles in her sleep, it is as if the new widow is possessed by a ghost.

This proverb describes a situation where an experienced person says something casually or out of habit, but an inexperienced or fearful person takes it too seriously and reacts with unnecessary panic. It highlights how fear and lack of experience can lead one to misinterpret a trivial situation as a major crisis.