ఈతచెట్టు కింద పాలు తాగినా, కల్లే అంటారు.

itachettu kinda palu tagina, kalle antaru.

Translation

If you even drink milk under a date tree they will say it's toddy. People are judged by the company they keep. Tell me the company you keep, and I'll tell you what you are. From a clear spring clear water flows. ( Latin. )

Meaning

This proverb highlights that appearance and environment matter for one's reputation. Even if you are doing something innocent (drinking milk), if you do it in a place associated with vice (under a tree where toddy/liquor is tapped), people will naturally suspect your character. It is used to advise someone to avoid situations or places that could lead to negative misunderstandings.

Related Phrases

Like making a monkey drink toddy (palm wine)

This expression is used to describe a situation where a naturally mischievous or restless person becomes even more uncontrollable, chaotic, or hyperactive due to external factors. It is used when someone's existing negative traits are amplified by bad influence or circumstances.

Like cutting the udder to drink milk

This expression refers to a short-sighted or greedy action where someone destroys a valuable source of long-term benefits for a small, immediate gain. It is similar to the English proverb 'killing the goose that lays the golden eggs.' It is used when someone's impatience or lack of foresight leads to self-inflicted loss.

Like a monkey that drank palm wine

This expression is used to describe someone who is behaving in an extremely hyperactive, erratic, or uncontrollable manner. It implies a state of chaotic agitation where a person is already naturally restless (like a monkey) and has been further stimulated by an intoxicant, making them impossible to manage.

The wind that is suitable for the tree.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone gets exactly what they deserve, or when a consequence is perfectly matched to an action or a person's character. It is similar to the English proverb 'As you sow, so shall you reap' or 'To each according to their capacity.'

The analogy of a blind man under a jujube tree.

This proverb describes a situation where someone is surrounded by opportunities or benefits but cannot see or utilize them due to their own limitations or ignorance. Just as a blind man standing under a fruit-laden jujube tree cannot see the fruit and therefore cannot pick it, this expression is used when someone misses out on obvious advantages right in front of them.

A silver date palm is not a home, and a palmyra palm is not a mother.

This proverb is used to warn against seeking comfort or reliability in things that are inherently hazardous or provide no real protection. Just as a palm tree provides very little shade or shelter (making it a poor 'home') and is often associated with intoxicants (toddy), one should not expect nourishment or maternal care from unreliable sources.

A calf which has drunk the milk of two cows. It is common among Hindus for childless persons to adopt children of their friends and treat them as their own. Such children are petted both by their real and by their adoptive parents, and are in consequence often spoilt.

This expression refers to a person who is exceptionally strong, healthy, or energetic because they have benefited from multiple sources of support or resources. It can also describe someone who is overly smart, cunning, or quick-witted due to having diverse experiences or 'best of both worlds' advantages.

A pack-saddle fits the size, and a quilt fits the pack-saddle.

This proverb is used to describe a perfect match or a situation where things are suited to each other, often used in a sarcastic or humorous way to describe a couple or a pair of people who share the same (often negative) traits or habits. It implies that for every person or situation, there is a corresponding match that deserves them.

Like cutting the udder, and drinking the milk. Ruining one's self by ambition.

This expression describes a person who, in their greed for immediate gain, destroys the very source of their wealth or livelihood. It is used to criticize short-sighted actions that provide a small instant benefit but cause permanent loss.

Like packsaddle, like quilt.

This expression is used to describe two people or things that are a perfect match for each other, often in a sarcastic or negative sense (like two equally lazy or cunning people). It is the Telugu equivalent of the English phrase 'Like father, like son' or 'A chip off the old block', implying that the quality or nature of one thing matches the other perfectly.

Like pot, like cover. (Dutch.)*