ఇంటివాణ్ని లేపి దొంగచేతికి కట్టె ఇచ్చినట్టు.

intivanni lepi dongachetiki katte ichchinattu.

Translation

Like waking the master, and giving the thief a stick. To hold with the hare, and hunt with the hounds.

Meaning

This proverb describes a person who pretends to help but actually creates a dangerous situation or aids the enemy. It is used to refer to someone's double-dealing or treacherous behavior where they appear to alert the victim while simultaneously empowering the perpetrator.

Related Phrases

Like giving the keys to a thief

This proverb describes a situation where a responsibility or a valuable asset is entrusted to someone who is most likely to abuse or steal it. It is used when a person makes a foolish decision by trusting an untrustworthy individual, effectively creating an opportunity for their own loss.

Like fruits growing on the palm of one's hand.

This expression is used to describe something that is impossible or highly unlikely to happen. Just as it is biologically impossible for fruit to grow directly from a human palm, it refers to unrealistic claims or deceptive promises that defy logic and reality.

Like giving the keys to a thief

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person mistakenly entrusts a valuable object or a sensitive responsibility to someone who is likely to misuse it or take advantage of it. It highlights the foolishness of putting a wrong or untrustworthy person in charge.

God gave two each to hear and to see, but gave only one to speak.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of listening and observing more than speaking. Since we are physically equipped with two ears and two eyes but only one mouth, it implies that a wise person should be twice as observant and attentive as they are talkative. It is used to advise someone to be thoughtful and cautious with their words.

The share given by the earth is better than that given by the government. Free lands are better when fertile, than shares of grain allotted by government.

This proverb emphasizes self-reliance and the bounty of nature over patronage from the powerful. It suggests that what one earns through honest labor on their own land is superior and more sustainable than gifts or favors received from those in power, which often come with conditions or strings attached.

You can wake a person who is asleep, but not one who is awake. None so deaf as those who won't hear. None so blind as those who won't see.

This proverb refers to the difficulty of convincing someone who is intentionally pretending to be ignorant or indifferent. While a person who genuinely doesn't know something can be educated, it is impossible to reason with someone who knows the truth but chooses to ignore it for their own reasons.

* Sandhed er en suur Kost. 29

When asked " Who gave you the freehold?" he said " I gave it to myself." Said of one who helps himself without regard to the law of meum and tuum.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks legitimate authority or external validation and instead relies on self-proclamations or self-awarded honors. It mocks those who boast about achievements or titles they have unilaterally claimed without any basis in truth or merit.

The one who does not work is a thief to the house; the one who does not pay taxes is a thief to the government.

This proverb highlights personal and civic responsibilities. It suggests that a family member who doesn't contribute labor is a burden to the household, just as a citizen who evades taxes is a traitor to the state (divanam). It is used to emphasize that laziness and tax evasion are both forms of dishonesty.

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.

Waking up the homeowner and handing a stick to the thief.

This proverb describes a double-crossing or hypocritical action where someone pretends to help but actually aids the enemy. It is used when a person's actions are self-defeating or when someone causes a conflict and then equips one side to cause more harm.