కొంప తగలడుతున్నది తమ్ముడూ అంటే చలికాచుకుందాం అన్నాట్ట
kompa tagaladutunnadi tammudu ante chalikachukundam annatta
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.
Related Phrases
కొంప తీస్తావా రామన్నా అంటే అందుకు సందేహమా అన్నాట్ట
kompa tistava ramanna ante anduku sandehama annatta
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.
తుమ్ముకు తమ్ముడు ఆవలింతకు అన్న
tummuku tammudu avalintaku anna
A sneeze has a younger brother, and a yawn has an elder brother.
This is a traditional Telugu saying used when someone sneezes or yawns repeatedly. It suggests that these actions rarely occur just once; if you sneeze once, another is likely to follow (the 'younger brother'), and if you yawn, more are soon to come (the 'elder brother').
ఇల్లు కాలుతుంటే చుట్ట కాల్చుకున్నాడట
illu kalutunte chutta kalchukunnadata
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.
కాదు కాదు అంటే నాది నాది అన్నాడట.
kadu kadu ante nadi nadi annadata.
When one said "Kādu, Kādu" the other said "Nādi, Nādi."
This proverb describes a situation where someone persistently tries to claim ownership or credit for something even after being explicitly told it doesn't belong to them or is incorrect. It is used to mock people who are shamelessly stubborn or opportunistic despite being rejected.
Kādu in Telugu means " it is not," "no;" in Tamil it signifies " the ear." A Telugu man on one occasion accidentally stuck the barb of his spear into a Tamilian's ear, on which the latter cried out "Kādu! Kādu!" ( My ear! my ear! ) The Telugu man thinking he meant to say " Not yours, not yours" pulled at the spear all the harder, saying "Nādi! Nādi!" (It's mine! it's mine!). Said to a man who is obstinate in argument.
పాడికి పంట తమ్ముడు
padiki panta tammudu
Crop is the younger brother of dairy farming
This proverb highlights the interdependence of agriculture and animal husbandry. It suggests that where there is dairy (cattle), a good harvest naturally follows, as they complement each other's success and provide a holistic livelihood for a farmer.
కాదు కాదు అంటే నాది నాది అన్నాడట
kadu kadu ante nadi nadi annadata
When one said 'No, no', the other said 'It's mine, it's mine'.
This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely greedy or opportunistic. It refers to a situation where a person tries to claim ownership of something even when others are denying it belongs to them or trying to distance themselves from it. It highlights a tendency to grab everything available without considering whether it is appropriate or right.
తుమ్ముకు తమ్ముడు లేడుగాని, ఆవిలింతకు అన్న ఉన్నాడు
tummuku tammudu ledugani, avilintaku anna unnadu
A sneeze has no younger brother, but a yawn has an elder brother.
This proverb describes the contagious nature of yawning compared to sneezing. While a sneeze is usually an isolated event for an individual, a yawn often triggers others nearby to yawn as well (the 'elder brother' following the lead). It is used to highlight how certain behaviors or habits are easily imitated or spread among people.
తేరగా వచ్చింది తినితిని, మా తమ్ముడూ ఒకడున్నాడు అన్నట్లు.
teraga vachchindi tinitini, ma tammudu okadunnadu annatlu.
After eating everything that came for free, saying 'I also have a brother'.
This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely selfish or greedy. It depicts a situation where someone enjoys a free meal or benefit entirely by themselves, and only mentions their family or others when everything is finished or when there is nothing left to share. It highlights hypocrisy and lack of genuine concern for others.
చాదస్తం అంటే చెరిసగం అన్నట్లు
chadastam ante cherisagam annatlu
If one says 'Chadam' (the ritualistic name), the other says 'stam' (the completion) — meaning exactly half-and-half.
This proverb is used to describe two people who are perfectly matched in their foolishness, stubbornness, or eccentricities. It suggests that if one person starts a silly act, the other completes it, implying they are both equally responsible for a peculiar or impractical situation.
కొంప కాలుతోందిరా అంటే నీళ్ళు కాచుకుందాం అన్నాట్ట
kompa kalutondira ante nillu kachukundam annatta
When told the house is on fire, he said let's heat some water.
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.