కుక్క నోట్లో కర్ర పెడితే లొళ్లుమంటుంది.

kukka notlo karra pedite lollumantundi.

Translation

If you poke a stick into a dog's mouth, it will snap. A man may make his own dog bite him.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone's predictable or inevitable reaction is provoked by a specific action. It implies that if you irritate or provoke someone, you should not be surprised when they react aggressively or loudly. It is often used to suggest that a person is simply acting according to their nature when triggered.

Related Phrases

When the crow cawed, she started. Feigned sensitiveness.

This expression describes a state of extreme fear, anxiety, or guilt. It suggests that a person is so terrified or on edge that even a common, harmless sound like a crow's caw is enough to startle them or cause panic.

The village tells you to leave, the graveyard tells you to come.

This proverb is used to describe someone who is very old and near the end of their life. It signifies that their time in the world of the living (the village) is over, and they are ready for the afterlife or burial ground (the graveyard).

If you don't want it, throw the stick and the shell to me.

This expression is used to describe someone who is greedy or eager to collect even the most useless leftovers of others. It characterizes a person who is ready to take anything, regardless of its value, as long as it is free or being discarded by someone else.

Though there is everything in the shop, there is ill luck in the son-in-law’s mouth.

When the crow caws, the heart skips a beat

This expression describes a person who is extremely timid, superstitious, or jumpy. It refers to a state of being so fearful that even a common, harmless sound like a crow's caw causes an intense physical reaction of fright or anxiety.

If you beat the dog, it fouls the whole house.

This expression is used when a small action or interference in a messy situation leads to more trouble or creates a larger nuisance. It highlights how certain interventions can backfire and spread a problem everywhere rather than solving it.

* Setz einen Frosch auf golden Stuhl, Er hupft doch wieder in den Pfuhl.

If you give him butter he cannot swallow it, if you give him your finger he cannot bite it.

This expression is used to describe a person who appears extremely innocent, naive, or passive to the point of being helpless or dull-witted. It often refers to someone who lacks the basic initiative or reaction expected in common situations.

As demure as if butter would not melt in his mouth, and yet cheese will not choke him.

No eyes on the forehead, no teeth in the mouth.

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely old or in a state of physical decline. It can also sarcastically refer to someone who is acting helpless or lacks basic common sense and capability.

A hypocrite who acts as if they wouldn't bite even if you put a finger in their mouth.

This expression is used to describe a person who pretends to be extremely innocent, naive, or harmless on the outside, while actually being cunning or manipulative. It characterizes someone putting on an act of extreme docility to hide their true nature.

Castor oil in the wife's mouth, a black gram seed in the husband's mouth.

This expression refers to extreme domestic secrecy or a lack of communication between a couple. It describes a situation where both partners are keeping secrets from each other, making it impossible for either to speak freely or share the truth.