కాలు కాలిన పిల్లి, నోరు కాలిన కుక్క

This proverb describes people who wish for others' misfortunes or specific chaotic situations for their own selfish gain. A cat might wish for darkness (blindness) to steal food unnoticed, while a dog might hope for more offspring to increase its pack or presence. It is used to critique those who have ulterior, often harmful, motives behind their desires.

This proverb highlights that while it might be possible to achieve an impossible physical feat like capturing the wind, it is absolutely impossible to stop a quarrelsome or loud-mouthed person from arguing. It is used to describe situations where dealing with an irrational or aggressive person is futile.

This proverb describes a person who is eager and greedy for small, immediate benefits (represented by a handful of boiled snacks/guggillu) but remains silent or fails to act when there is an opportunity for a much larger gain (represented by the entire harvest at the threshing floor/kallam). It is used to mock someone who lacks a sense of proportion or fails to recognize where the real profit lies.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely restless, constantly moving from place to place, or unable to sit still in one spot. It is often applied to people who are frantic, anxious, or perpetually busy without a specific direction.

This proverb is used to describe the difficulty of dealing with a quarrelsome or loud-mouthed person (specifically a 'gayyali'). It suggests that controlling the wind—an impossible task—is still easier than stopping such a person from arguing or being verbally abusive.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone experiences a significant loss or problem but chooses to remain silent or suffers in secret without crying out for help, usually to avoid revealing their hidden wealth or secrets. It implies a quiet or concealed catastrophe.

This expression is used to describe a person who is habitually prone to complaining or creating a ruckus regardless of the circumstances. It suggests that for some people, misery or noisy behavior is a constant trait that doesn't change even in the face of significant disasters or personal loss.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely restless, anxious, or unable to stay in one place. Just as a cat with a burnt paw would jump around frantically and can't sit still, it refers to a person moving about aimlessly or nervously due to stress or agitation.

This proverb highlights the profound difference between superficial sympathy and true maternal grief. While an outsider (the one who hears the news) might feel a fleeting pain or 'burn' on the surface (the back), the biological mother (the one who gave birth) feels the intense, internal agony of a 'burning' womb/stomach. It is used to express that only those directly affected by a tragedy can truly understand its depth.

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This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely restless, anxious, or unable to stay in one place. Just as a cat with a burnt paw would jump around in distress, it refers to a person moving about aimlessly or frantically due to tension or urgency.