కరువులో బిడ్డను అమ్ముకొన్నట్టు

karuvulo biddanu ammukonnattu

Translation

Like selling a child in a famine. Selling in a bad market.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a state of extreme desperation or dire necessity where someone is forced to give up something incredibly precious or vital just to survive a crisis. It highlights a situation where there are no good choices left and one must make a heartbreaking sacrifice.

Related Phrases

Like jumping and kissing someone else's child as if they were one's own.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone takes undue credit or feels excessive pride and excitement for something they did not create or achieve themselves. It highlights the absurdity of claiming ownership or being overly enthusiastic about someone else's hard work or success.

Selling the fertilizer and putting the quilt in the hearth.

This expression is used to describe a foolish or self-destructive person who sells their source of livelihood (fertilizer for farming) and then destroys their only means of comfort or warmth (the quilt) for fuel. It refers to someone who makes decisions that lead to their own total ruin by wasting both their assets and their necessities.

Like keeping the baby in the cradle and searching for it across the entire village.

This proverb describes a situation where someone searches everywhere for something that is already in their possession or right in front of them. It is used to point out a person's absent-mindedness or lack of awareness regarding immediate solutions.

The baby in the pit and the baby in the womb.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is taking care of or worrying about two critical things at once, typically referring to the heavy burden of responsibility or the multitasking required in parenting and household management. It can also imply a state of continuous struggle or being overwhelmed by multiple life demands.

Like tying the rice-mortar to his neck out of rivalry. Two men were dancing.—One had a drum round his neck ; the other, not to be out-done, hung the mortar round his neck. ల.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person, driven by excessive pride, anger, or a false sense of honor, takes on a burden or makes a decision that only causes them more trouble and hardship. It highlights the foolishness of taking extreme actions just to prove a point when those actions lead to self-inflicted misery.

Like selling one's child during a famine

This expression describes a situation of extreme desperation where someone is forced to sacrifice their most precious possession or make a heart-wrenching decision due to dire circumstances. It is used when someone gives up something invaluable just to survive a temporary crisis.

An extra month during a famine.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an already difficult or bad situation is made worse by further complications or burdens. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'Misfortunes never come singly' or 'When it rains, it pours'.

Like throwing a child into a well to find out the depth.

This expression is used to describe a foolish or reckless action where one risks something very precious just to test or find out something trivial or dangerous. It highlights extreme negligence or a lack of common sense in decision-making.

Borrowing during a famine

This expression describes a situation where one is forced to seek a loan or credit during a time of extreme scarcity or crisis. It signifies an act of desperation or a burden upon an already struggling person, as borrowing during a famine is difficult to repay and even harder to obtain.

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).