ఈనగాచి నక్కలపాలు చేసినట్లు
inagachi nakkalapalu chesinatlu
He watched [ the field ] until the harvest, and then let it go to the jackals.
This expression describes a situation where someone puts in immense hard work and care into a project or task for a long time, only to lose everything or have it wasted at the very last moment due to negligence or bad luck. It is used to express frustration over wasted effort.
Related Phrases
చిన్నక్కను పెద్దక్కను, పెద్దక్కను చిన్నక్కను చేసే వాడు
chinnakkanu peddakkanu, peddakkanu chinnakkanu chese vadu
He makes the younger sister the elder, and the elder sister the younger.
This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely cunning, manipulative, or a master of deception. It refers to someone capable of twisting facts or reality so convincingly that they can make even the most obvious truths appear reversed.
Said of an unprincipled, untruthful man.
తినగా తినగా గారెలు చేదు
tinaga tinaga garelu chedu
Eating and eating, even vada tastes bitter.
This proverb suggests that even something wonderful or delicious can become tiresome or unpleasant if experienced in excess. It is used to describe the point of satiety or boredom when someone overindulges in a particular pleasure, luxury, or activity.
అక్కలు లేచేటప్పటికి నక్కలు కూస్తాయి
akkalu lechetappatiki nakkalu kustayi
By the time the sisters wake up, the jackals start howling.
This proverb is used to describe people who are extremely lazy or chronic late-risers. It implies that instead of waking up at dawn, they sleep so late that it is already evening (when jackals typically howl) by the time they get out of bed.
నక్కలలో నక్కగా నటించవలె
nakkalalo nakkaga natinchavale
One must act as a fox among foxes.
This expression suggests that one must adapt to their surroundings and the company they are in to survive or succeed. It is similar to the English proverb 'When in Rome, do as the Romans do,' but with a specific emphasis on using cunning or matching the behavior of those around you, especially when dealing with shrewd people.
నక్క జిత్తులన్నీ నా వద్ద ఉండగా నన్ను మోసము చేసెనే తాబేటి బుర్ర
nakka jittulanni na vadda undaga nannu mosamu chesene tabeti burra
Although I was as cunning as a fox, I was deceived by a tortoise. A man sat on the back of a tortoise not knowing what it was, and sank with it.
This expression is used when someone who considers themselves extremely clever or cunning is outsmarted by someone they perceived as slow, simple, or unintelligent. It highlights the irony of a 'master manipulator' being defeated by a seemingly simple person.
నిష్ట నీళ్లపాలు, మంత్రం మాలపాలు
nishta nillapalu, mantram malapalu
Devotion gone into the water, and the mantra gone to the outcasts.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where all the hard work, meticulous effort, or ritualistic care put into a task goes completely to waste or is rendered useless due to a small mistake or an unfortunate turn of events. It implies that the sanctity or value of an endeavor has been lost.
కుక్కల నక్కల పెళ్ళికి కుందేలు మంత్రాలు చదివిందట
kukkala nakkala pelliki kundelu mantralu chadivindata
For the wedding of dogs and foxes, the rabbit recited the mantras.
This proverb is used to describe a chaotic or absurd situation where unqualified or irrelevant people are involved in a task that makes no sense to begin with. It highlights the ridiculousness of a situation where everything is disorganized and the participants are mismatched.
తినగా తినగా గారెలు చేదట
tinaga tinaga garelu chedata
Eating and eating, even the fried doughnuts (garelu) turn bitter.
This proverb describes the concept of diminishing returns or over-indulgence. Even something as delicious as 'Garelu' (a savory snack) can become unpleasant or repulsive if consumed in excess. It is used to suggest that anything, no matter how good, loses its charm or becomes tiresome when overdone or repeated too often.
ఇల్లు ఈగలపాలు, దొడ్డి దోమలపాలు
illu igalapalu, doddi domalapalu
The house belongs to the flies, the backyard belongs to the mosquitoes.
This proverb is used to describe a state of utter neglect, lack of maintenance, or mismanagement of a property or household. It highlights a situation where, due to the absence or carelessness of the inhabitants, the premises have been completely overrun by pests.
పుట్టిన ఇన్నాళ్లకు పురుషుడు యజ్ఞం చేశాడు
puttina innallaku purushudu yajnyam cheshadu
After living for so many years the man performed a sacrifice. Good luck comes at last. Fortune knocks once at least at every man's gate. Fortune is like the market, where if you bide your time, the price will fall.
This expression is used sarcastically to describe someone who has finally completed a task or achieved something after an incredibly long delay or a lifetime of procrastination. It highlights that the action, while positive, took an unnecessarily long time to occur.