కాలు కడుగ ముంతలేదు, కల్లుకు కళాయిగిన్నె

kalu kaduga muntaledu, kalluku kalayiginne

Translation

Not a small pot to wash feet, but a polished vessel for palm wine.

Meaning

This proverb describes a person who lacks basic necessities but spends lavishly on vices or luxuries. It is used to criticize those who do not prioritize their essential needs and instead waste resources on unproductive habits.

Related Phrases

For the woman who heard, her back burned; for the mother who gave birth, her womb burned.

This proverb contrasts superficial sympathy with deep, genuine pain. While an outsider (the listener) might feel a momentary or mild annoyance (back burning), only the person directly involved or the parent (the mother) feels the true, excruciating agony (womb burning). It is used to describe situations where bystanders can never truly understand the depth of a victim's suffering.

Having only one son is like having only one eye.

This proverb highlights the vulnerability of relying on a single source of support. Just as losing one's only eye results in total blindness, depending solely on one child or a single plan is risky because if that one fails, there is no backup or alternative support system.

His words leap over forts, his foot does not cross the threshold.

This expression is used to describe people who talk big and boast about grand plans or achievements, but in reality, fail to take even the smallest action or initiative. It highlights the contrast between empty talk and lack of practical effort.

Great vaunters, little doers. ( French. )† * Il se ruine à promettre, et s'acquit à ne rien donner. † Grand vanteurs, petite faiseurs.

No effort was put in then, and no worry is felt now.

This proverb describes a state of total negligence or lack of foresight. It is used to describe a person who did not take action or plan during the appropriate time (the past) and consequently feels no regret or concern about the failure in the present. It often implies a sense of indifference toward one's responsibilities.

When asked, 'Wash your feet, Sayyid Ali,' he replied, 'By God, I have already licked them clean.'

This proverb describes a situation where someone performs a task in a crude, improper, or counterproductive manner instead of doing it the right way. It is used to mock people who are unhygienic, lazy, or lack common sense in how they approach a simple request.

Even if the sky breaks or an eye is lost, you will not stop doing it.

This expression is used to describe an extremely stubborn person or someone who is persistent to a fault. It suggests that regardless of major disasters or personal injury, the individual refuses to change their course of action or stop a specific behavior.

Mangoes bloom during good times, tamarinds bloom during bad times.

This proverb suggests that positive and sweet experiences (symbolized by mangoes) arrive during prosperous or favorable periods, whereas sour struggles and worries (symbolized by tamarinds/worries, as 'chinta' means both tamarind and worry in Telugu) are prevalent during difficult times. It is used to describe the cyclic nature of fortune and misfortune.

There is no delay for love that occurs at first sight.

This expression suggests that love at first sight is immediate and decisive. It implies that when a strong connection is felt instantly, there is no need for hesitation or a long waiting period to recognize those feelings. It is often used to describe whirlwind romances or instant attraction.

Like giving legs to a story and ears to a pot.

This expression describes the act of exaggerating a story or fabricating unnecessary details to make a simple event sound more dramatic or believable. It is used when someone adds 'spices' or false information to a basic fact, making the narrative unrealistic or distorted.

One eye is no eye, one son is no son.

This proverb suggests that relying on a single resource or individual is risky. Just as losing one's only eye leads to total blindness, depending on an only child (or a single point of failure) leaves one vulnerable. It is used to emphasize the importance of backups, security, or having multiple supports in life.