కాకి తన్నిందంటే పేగు కదులుతుంది
kaki tannindante pegu kadulutundi
If a crow kicks, the intestines will move.
This expression is used to mock someone who is being overly dramatic or exaggerating a minor event. It suggests that the person is pretending a tiny, insignificant action (like a kick from a small bird) has caused them deep internal injury or significant distress.
Related Phrases
తగిలిన వేలికే మళ్ళీ తగులుతుంది.
tagilina velike malli tagulutundi.
The toe that is already injured is the one that gets hit again.
This proverb is used to describe a streak of bad luck or a situation where troubles seem to accumulate for someone who is already suffering. It is similar to the English expression 'When it rains, it pours.'
కడుపు చించుకుంటే కాళ్ళ మీద పడతాయి
kadupu chinchukunte kalla mida padatayi
If you rip open your stomach, the intestines fall on your own feet.
This expression is used to caution against exposing internal family secrets or private flaws of one's own people to the public. Just as damaging yourself only harms you and causes a mess at your own feet, revealing the faults of your relatives or close associates only brings disgrace and trouble back to yourself.
చిలుము వదిలితే, ఛిద్రం వదులుతుంది.
chilumu vadilite, chhidram vadulutundi.
When the "tin" goes, household broils disappear. Chilumu is properly rust on other metals than iron; it is a slang term for money.
This expression suggests that getting rid of a minor nuisance or bad habit (rust) might lead to losing the entire object (the hole/the structure) or that resolving a small initial problem might inadvertently expose or solve a deeper flaw. It is often used to imply that some flaws are so integrated into a situation that trying to fix them might change the situation entirely.
కాకి తన్నిందంటే కీడు మూడినట్టు
kaki tannindante kidu mudinattu
If a crow hits you, it means bad luck has arrived
This expression is used to describe a situation where a minor incident is interpreted as a bad omen or a sign of impending trouble. In Telugu culture, a crow physically touching a person is traditionally considered an inauspicious sign or a warning of negative events to follow. It is often used to describe someone who is highly superstitious or to highlight a stroke of bad luck.
ఆవులిస్తే పేగులు లెక్కపెట్టినట్లు
avuliste pegulu lekkapettinatlu
As if counting the intestines when someone yawns.
This expression describes someone who is extremely shrewd, intuitive, or cunning. It refers to a person who can understand a person's hidden intentions or the entire situation with just a small hint or a simple gesture, much like claiming to see one's internal organs just from an open mouth.
తీగ కదిలిస్తే పొదంతా కదులుతుంది
tiga kadiliste podanta kadulutundi
If you pull a vine, the whole bush shakes
This expression refers to situations where a small action or a single point of inquiry reveals a much larger, interconnected network or complex problem. It is often used in contexts like investigations where pulling on one lead exposes everyone involved in a conspiracy or a large group of people.
తన్నితే తల పగులుతుందంటే, కొడితే కొప్పెర పగలాలి అన్నాడట.
tannite tala pagulutundante, kodite koppera pagalali annadata.
If one says a kick will break the head, the other says a blow should shatter a copper cauldron.
This proverb describes a situation involving 'one-upmanship' or competitive exaggeration. It is used when a person tries to sound even more aggressive, dramatic, or boastful than someone who is already making an extreme statement.
తాకిన వ్రేలుకే తట్టు తగులుతుంది.
takina vreluke tattu tagulutundi.
The injured finger is the one that keeps getting hit.
This expression is used to describe a situation where troubles or misfortunes seem to repeatedly affect the same person or the same weak spot. It is similar to the English proverb 'Misfortunes never come singly' or the idea that 'it always pours when it rains.' It highlights how a person already in distress often faces further complications.
ఆవలిస్తే పేగులు లెక్కపెట్టినట్టు
avaliste pegulu lekkapettinattu
Counting the intestines as soon as someone yawns.
This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely sharp, shrewd, or overly clever. It refers to a person who can instantly understand someone's hidden intentions or inner thoughts from just a small hint or gesture, even before the other person expresses them.
తగిలిన కాలే తగులుతుంది.
tagilina kale tagulutundi.
A wounded foot is always striking against something.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where misfortunes or problems seem to follow a person who is already in trouble. It is similar to the English expression 'misfortunes never come singly' or 'when it rains, it pours.' It highlights how vulnerable points are often the ones that suffer repeated setbacks.