కోడి కొత్త అప్పులు చేయిస్తుంది, వండి పాత అప్పులు తీరుస్తుంది
kodi kotta appulu cheyistundi, vandi pata appulu tirustundi
A hen causes new debts, but its cooked meat clears old debts.
This proverb is used to describe investments or ventures that require upfront borrowing or initial expenditure but eventually yield high enough profits to cover both the new and old debts. It highlights the value of productive assets.
Related Phrases
పాలేరు దున్నినవాడు అప్పలపాలు
paleru dunninavadu appalapalu
One who lets a farmhand do the plowing ends up in debt.
This proverb emphasizes the importance of personal supervision and hard work in one's business or agriculture. It suggests that if you rely entirely on others (like a farmhand or employee) to do your core work without oversight, the inefficiency or lack of care will eventually lead to financial loss or debt.
నోరంతా పళ్ళు, ఊరంతా అప్పులు
noranta pallu, uranta appulu
A mouth full of teeth, a town full of debts.
This proverb is used to describe someone who smiles or talks excessively to hide their financial troubles, or someone who maintains an outward appearance of cheerfulness despite being heavily indebted to many people in the community.
కొత్త అప్పుకు పోతే, పాత అప్పు పైన పడ్డది.
kotta appuku pote, pata appu paina paddadi.
When he went to raise a new loan, the old debt fell upon him. i. e. His creditor reminded him of the old score.
This proverb describes a situation where an attempt to solve an existing problem or acquire a new resource results in being confronted by previous unresolved obligations. It is used when someone's efforts to move forward are hindered by their past mistakes or debts suddenly demanding attention.
అప్పులవాడికి అప్పచెప్పాలి, అప్పు చేసేటప్పుడు ముప్పందుమే కదా
appulavadiki appacheppali, appu chesetappudu muppandume kada
One must surrender to the creditor, for wasn't there great joy while taking the loan?
This proverb is used to remind someone that if they enjoyed the benefits of borrowing money or taking a favor, they must also face the consequences or the difficulty of repayment without complaining. It highlights the contrast between the pleasure of acquisition and the pain of settlement.
కూర్చున్నవానికి కుప్పలు, తిరిగినవానికి తిప్పలు
kurchunnavaniki kuppalu, tiriginavaniki tippalu
Heaps for the one who sits, troubles for the one who roams.
This proverb contrasts physical labor with strategic or steady placement. It suggests that someone who stays focused or 'sits' (often referring to a landowner or a steady worker) accumulates heaps of grain or wealth, whereas someone who wanders aimlessly or works without a plan faces hardships and troubles. It is used to highlight the rewards of stability versus the difficulties of being unsettled.
అన్నాలన్నీ సున్నాలు, అప్పాలన్నీ కప్పాలు
annalanni sunnalu, appalanni kappalu
Let all your rice be chunam and all your cakes frogs ! A certain sage was, on account of his eccentricities, treated as a crazy fellow and not received into society. On one occasion, irritated by being refused admittance to an entertainment, he uttered the above imprecation which to the consternation of the assembled company took effect. They begged his pardon, whereupon he restored in the same miraculous manner the chunam into rice and the frogs into cakes ! The power acquired by austerities.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is extremely ungrateful or dismissive of the food and hospitality provided to them. It suggests that despite being fed well, the person treats the main meals as nothing (zeros) and views the snacks or treats as a burden or tax (tributes) rather than a kind gesture.
పూడ్చుకోలేనంత గొయ్యి తీర్చుకోలేనంత అప్పు చేయరాదు.
pudchukolenanta goyyi tirchukolenanta appu cheyaradu.
One should not dig a hole so deep that it cannot be filled, nor take a debt so large that it cannot be repaid.
This proverb serves as a warning against over-extending oneself financially or creating problems that are beyond one's capacity to resolve. It emphasizes the importance of living within one's means and thinking about the long-term consequences of debt or destructive actions. It is used to advise people to be prudent and responsible.
పులివాత పడ్డ మేక, అప్పారావుకిచ్చిన అప్పు తిరిగి రావు
pulivata padda meka, apparavukichchina appu tirigi ravu
A goat in a tiger's mouth and a loan given to Apparao will never return.
This is a humorous and sarcastic Telugu saying used to describe a situation where something is lost forever with zero chance of recovery. Just as a goat cannot escape once caught in a tiger's jaws, money lent to certain unreliable people (punning on the name 'Apparao' which contains the word 'Appu' meaning debt) is considered a permanent loss.
పంది పాత అప్పులు తీరుస్తుంది, కోడి కొత్త అప్పులు తీరుస్తుంది.
pandi pata appulu tirustundi, kodi kotta appulu tirustundi.
The pig pays off old debts, and the chicken pays off new debts.
This proverb describes the traditional rural economy of self-sufficiency. Selling a pig provides a large lump sum of money used to clear long-standing or significant debts, while selling chickens or eggs provides smaller, frequent income to handle daily expenses or immediate small loans.
ఊరినిండా అప్పులు, నోటినిండా పళ్ళు
urininda appulu, notininda pallu
A village full of debts, a mouth full of teeth.
This expression is used to describe a person who is drowning in debt but remains shamelessly cheerful or continues to grin as if nothing is wrong. It mocks the irony of having many liabilities while maintaining a facade of carefree happiness or showing off.