ఇన్నాళ్లు బ్రతికి ఇంటి వెనక చచ్చినట్టు.
innallu bratiki inti venaka chachchinattu.
After living so long he died at the back of his house. A miserable end.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone achieves great things or survives long hardships, only to fail or suffer an ignominious end due to a trivial mistake or at the very last moment. It signifies an anti-climactic or disgraceful conclusion to an otherwise long or significant journey.
Related Phrases
ఏనుగు చచ్చినా బ్రతికినా వెయ్యివరహాలే
enugu chachchina bratikina veyyivarahale
An elephant is worth a thousand gold coins whether it is dead or alive.
This proverb is used to describe someone or something that possesses great value, prestige, or dignity regardless of their current circumstances or status. Just as an elephant's tusks and hide are valuable even after death, a great person's reputation or a valuable asset remains significant even when it is no longer functional or active.
సమయానికి లేని బావ చచ్చినా ఒకటి, బతికినా ఒకటి
samayaniki leni bava chachchina okati, batikina okati
A brother-in-law who is not there when needed is the same whether he is dead or alive.
This proverb is used to describe someone who fails to offer help during a critical time or a crisis. It implies that if a person (especially a relative who is expected to support you) is unavailable when most needed, their existence or relationship becomes irrelevant to the sufferer.
మొగుడు చచ్చిన వెనక ముండకు బుద్ధి వచ్చినది.
mogudu chachchina venaka mundaku buddhi vachchinadi.
After her husband's death, the jade came to her senses.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone realizes their mistake or understands the importance of something only after it is permanently lost or when it is too late to rectify the damage. It highlights the futility of late realization.
ఇంటి వెనకాలకు వెళ్లి ఇల్లు ముందుకు తెచ్చినట్టు
inti venakalaku velli illu munduku techchinattu
He brought the house forward by going behind it. Said jokingly of a man who professed to have improved the family prospects.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone performs a task in a needlessly complicated, roundabout, or illogical manner. It refers to wasting effort on an impossible or unnecessarily difficult way of doing something that should be simple.
ఏనుగు బ్రతికినా వెయ్యి, చచ్చినా వెయ్యి
enugu bratikina veyyi, chachchina veyyi
An elephant is worth a thousand when alive, and worth a thousand even when dead.
This expression is used to describe someone or something of immense value, status, or reputation that remains significant regardless of their current state or circumstances. Just as an elephant provides labor while alive and valuable ivory/hides after death, a great person's legacy or a high-quality asset continues to command respect and value even after its prime.
చచ్చేదాకా బ్రతికి ఉంటే పెళ్లి చేస్తానన్నట్టు
chachchedaka bratiki unte pelli chestanannattu
If you live until I die, I'll get you married. A jocular saying.
This expression is used to describe a sarcastic or impossible promise. It highlights a logical paradox where the condition for something to happen (staying alive until death) makes the outcome (marriage) impossible or redundant, often used to mock someone making empty or deceptive commitments.
బ్రతికి ఉండగా పాలు లేదు గాని, చచ్చిన వెనక గంగిగోవును దానం చేస్తానన్నట్టు.
bratiki undaga palu ledu gani, chachchina venaka gangigovunu danam chestanannattu.
While he lived no milk was given to him, but he was pro- mised that a sacred cow would be presented [on his ac- count] to a Brahman, after his death.
This proverb describes a hypocritical or ironic situation where someone neglects a person's basic needs when they are alive or in need, but makes grand, expensive gestures of charity or honor once they are gone. It is used to criticize people who perform showy acts of virtue too late to be of any actual help.
శాపాలకు చచ్చినవాడు, దీవెనలకు బ్రతికినవాడు లేరు.
shapalaku chachchinavadu, divenalaku bratikinavadu leru.
There is no one who died because of curses, nor anyone who lived because of blessings.
This proverb emphasizes that human life and destiny are governed by actions and natural laws rather than just the words of others. It suggests that mere words—whether malicious curses or benevolent blessings—do not have the power to change one's fate or physical reality. It is used to encourage people to ignore empty threats or not rely solely on praise.
అత్త చచ్చిందని అత్త చీర కట్టుకుంటే, చచ్చినాక దయ్యమై పట్టిందట
atta chachchindani atta chira kattukunte, chachchinaka dayyamai pattindata
When the daughter-in-law wore her deceased mother-in-law's saree because she died, the mother-in-law returned as a ghost to haunt her.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone tries to benefit from another person's misfortune or death, only to find that the benefit brings unforeseen troubles or burdens. It highlights that ill-gotten gains or taking advantage of a situation can lead to haunting consequences.
సమయానికి లేని బాకా చచ్చిన వెనకటికా?
samayaniki leni baka chachchina venakatika?
Can the horn not [blown] in time, [be sounded] after death? Said by a beggar, who blew his horn when he was being carried away by a tiger, thus scaring the animal and saving his life.
This proverb is used to describe something that is not available when it is actually needed, making it useless later. It highlights that help, resources, or tools lose their value if they are not provided at the critical moment, just as a ceremonial trumpet is useless if it isn't played during the appropriate time of an event.