కంచం అమ్మి మట్టెలు చేయించినట్లు.

kancham ammi mattelu cheyinchinatlu.

Translation

Like selling a dining plate to get toe-rings made.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a foolish act where someone sacrifices a basic necessity or something of great utility for the sake of a useless luxury or a decorative item. It highlights poor prioritization and a lack of common sense.

Related Phrases

Like roasting popcorn in a cloth.

This expression is used to describe someone who is speaking extremely fast, incessantly, or angrily without giving others a chance to speak. Just as popcorn pops rapidly and noisily in a pan, this phrase characterizes a rapid-fire verbal delivery.

Like roasting pigeon peas in the loincloth.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is causing extreme discomfort, irritation, or restlessness to another person. It refers to a metaphorical state of being extremely bothered or being put in a very tight, prickly situation where one cannot sit still or remain calm.

Selling firewood in the same place where sandalwood was sold

This expression refers to a situation where a person or a place has fallen from a position of great prestige, prosperity, or high status to a very low or common state. It highlights the contrast between past glory (sandalwood) and current struggle or mediocrity (firewood).

Like selling firewood where sandal had been sold. Said of the ruin of what once was beautiful.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone or something has lost its former glory, dignity, or high status. It refers to a decline in quality or a person resorting to menial tasks after having held a prestigious position.

Like letting go of one's hand in the middle of a river.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is abandoned or left without support in the middle of a crisis or a difficult situation, especially after being promised help initially.

Like selling firewood in the same shop where flowers were once sold.

This expression describes a situation where someone who once lived a dignified or prosperous life has now fallen into a lowly or difficult state. It refers to a significant decline in status, quality, or circumstances, comparing the fragrance and beauty of flowers to the ruggedness and toil associated with selling firewood.

Like the ram one raised being killed by one's own self.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is harmed or betrayed by something or someone they have carefully nurtured, supported, or helped grow. It highlights the irony and pain of being victimized by one's own creation or a person they once trusted and cared for.

Shared plate but not a shared bed.

This expression describes a relationship where people are close enough to eat together or share social meals, but do not share a deep, private, or familial intimacy. It is often used to define the boundaries of a friendship or a formal association where one's private life remains separate.

Like selling the plate to buy anklets.

This proverb describes a situation where someone sacrifices a basic necessity or a useful tool for a luxury or a useless ornament. It refers to poor financial judgment or misplaced priorities, specifically trading something essential for survival for something that is merely for show.

Selling the dish and buying toe-rings. He has given the hen for the egg. (German.)

This proverb is used to describe a person who makes a foolish trade-off by giving up something essential or useful for something ornamental or trivial. It refers to misplaced priorities where one sacrifices a basic necessity (a plate for food) for a luxury or a decorative item (toe-rings).