కొంప కాలుతోందిరా అంటే నీళ్ళు కాచుకుందాం అన్నాట్ట

kompa kalutondira ante nillu kachukundam annatta

Translation

When told the house is on fire, he said let's heat some water.

Meaning

This proverb describes a person who is incredibly foolish, opportunistic, or indifferent to a crisis. It is used when someone tries to find a small personal benefit or suggests a trivial action in the middle of a massive disaster or an emergency situation.

Related Phrases

When asked 'Will you ruin my house, Ramanna?', he replied 'Is there any doubt about it?'

This expression is used to describe a person who is blatantly and shamelessly honest about their intention to cause harm or mischief. It depicts a situation where someone is so committed to a negative action that they don't even try to hide it when confronted, highlighting their audacity or the inevitability of the impending trouble.

When the house was on fire, he tried to light his cigar with it.

This proverb is used to describe an extremely selfish or opportunistic person who tries to find a small personal benefit even in a situation of great disaster or someone else's misery. It highlights a lack of empathy and a focus on trivial personal needs during a crisis.

When said 'the girl is ruined', it means 'she has reached Tenali'

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is already in trouble or has lost their reputation moves to a place or joins a group known for further indulgence or lack of discipline. Historically, Tenali was satirically associated with a carefree or hedonistic lifestyle in folk sayings. It refers to a person's path going from bad to worse.

When told the melody was missed, he said the 'Yati' (alliteration) has no sense.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone gives an irrelevant or illogical response to cover up their mistake. It refers to a person who, when criticized for a flaw in their singing (raga), tries to deflect by pointing out a non-existent flaw in the poetic structure (yati), essentially talking nonsense to avoid admitting fault.

When told 'The house is burning, brother!', he replied 'Let's warm ourselves by the fire then.'

This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely selfish, opportunistic, or indifferent to a disaster. It refers to someone who looks for a personal advantage or a silver lining even in a catastrophic situation that is causing great loss to others.

When told 'The wedding is over,' he replied, 'The anxiety has finally subsided.'

This proverb is used to describe a sense of relief after a major, stressful task or responsibility is completed. It highlights the mental burden one carries until a significant event (like a wedding in the family) is successfully concluded, after which the person can finally find peace of mind.

One must watch and ruin an enemy. Wait time and place to take your revenge, for it is never done well in a hurry. ( Italian. )

This expression suggests that if you want to defeat or ruin a wicked person or an enemy, you should not act impulsively. Instead, one must wait patiently for the opportune moment or a point of vulnerability to ensure the downfall is complete.

One should wait and ruin the house of an enemy.

This expression suggests that if you want to defeat or take revenge on a powerful or wicked enemy, you must exercise extreme patience. Instead of acting impulsively, one should wait for the right moment or a vulnerability to strike effectively.

When the father said, 'You will drown this house, you bad son,' the son replied, 'Why the doubt, father?'

This proverb is used to describe a person who is blatantly and shamelessly destructive or incompetent. It highlights a situation where someone is not only doing something wrong or harmful but is also boastful or overly confident about their ability to cause ruin, showing no remorse or intention to change.

When the house was on fire, he went to the fire to fetch a pot of water.

This proverb describes a person who lacks common sense or presence of mind during a crisis. It is used to mock someone who employs a counter-productive or foolish method to solve an urgent problem, essentially making the situation worse.