కూడూ గుడ్డా అడగక పోతే, బిడ్డను సాకినట్టు సాకుతాను అన్నాడట

kudu gudda adagaka pote, biddanu sakinattu sakutanu annadata

Translation

If you don't ask me for food and raiment I will care for you as my own child.

Meaning

This is a sarcastic proverb used to describe someone who offers help or a deal that is fundamentally impossible or hypocritical. Since 'taking care' of someone inherently requires providing food and clothing, promising to do so only on the condition that they don't ask for those essentials is nonsensical. It is used when someone places conditions that negate the very purpose of the support they are offering.

Notes

Good words and no decds are rushes and reeds. Fair words butter no parsnips.

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.

A dog's tail is crooked; it said it won't change its nature.

This expression is used to describe a person who refuses to change their inherent bad habits or character, regardless of how much advice they receive or how much effort is made to reform them. It is similar to the English proverb 'A leopard cannot change its spots'.

Seeing her paramour, she said she would jump into the fire pit.

This expression describes a situation where someone performs a dramatic, hypocritical act of devotion or sacrifice only when an audience (specifically someone they want to impress) is watching. It is used to mock fake sincerity or theatrical displays of loyalty that lack true substance.

He said 'If it happens, it's a girl; if not, it's a boy'

This proverb is used to mock someone who makes an obvious or inevitable prediction that covers all possible outcomes. It describes a situation where a person states the obvious as if it were a profound insight, or takes a stance where they cannot be proven wrong because they have accounted for every alternative.

If you don't ask for food and clothing, I will raise you like my own child, he said.

This is a sarcastic proverb used to describe people who offer help or patronage while placing impossible conditions that defeat the purpose of the help itself. It mocks those who promise care but refuse to provide basic necessities like food and clothing. It is used when someone offers a deal that is entirely one-sided or hypocritical.

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

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.

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.

When the teacher said 'hit from the back, student,' the student replied, 'If I hit from the back, will there be a face left, master?'

This expression is used to describe a person who is foolishly literal or lacks common sense. It refers to someone who interprets instructions in the most absurd way possible or provides nonsensical excuses instead of understanding the intent behind a command.

If he can't keep quiet, put him in the stocks.

This expression is used to describe someone who makes extreme, irrational, or self-destructive decisions when faced with minor discomfort or temporary problems. It highlights the tendency to overreact or choose a permanent 'solution' to a temporary situation.

Does God Himself ask for food and clothing?

This expression is used to emphasize that God or a divine entity does not need worldly, material offerings like food and clothes for His own sake. It is often cited to suggest that such offerings are purely for the devotee's satisfaction or that true spirituality lies beyond material rituals.