కుంటెద్దు రానిదీ దూలమెత్తరు

kunteddu ranidi dulamettaru

Translation

Until the lame bullock comes, they won't lift the beam.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where a specific person or thing is used as an excuse to delay or stall a collective task. It refers to people who wait for a particular individual (who might be slow or unreliable) to arrive before starting work, essentially procrastinating or justifying inaction.

Related Phrases

Like asking to tell something you don't know, I haven't heard, and doesn't exist in the world.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is asked to provide an impossible or non-existent explanation, or when someone is making up blatant lies that defy logic and reality. It highlights the absurdity of a request or a statement.

There is nothing a lazy person doesn't wish for, and nothing a hater doesn't say.

This proverb describes two types of people: a lazy person (opani vaadu) who desires everything without wanting to work for it, and a spiteful person (ollani vaadu) who will resort to any lie or criticism against someone they dislike. It is used to highlight the hypocrisy of wanting results without effort or the tendency of people to badmouth those they are biased against.

Tell me something that you never knew, that I never heard, and that never existed in the world.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is asked to provide impossible or non-existent information. It highlights the absurdity of a request that demands something completely unknown to both the teller and the listener, and which has no basis in reality. It is often used sarcastically when someone expects an answer that is logically impossible to give.

Sing something that you don't know and that I cannot bear to hear. Asking something which is impossible.

This proverb describes a situation where someone is forced or encouraged to do something they are incompetent at, resulting in an outcome that is unpleasant or intolerable for everyone involved. It is used to mock a task performed poorly by someone without skill, which only causes annoyance to the observer.

There is nothing which an invalid will not ask for; and there is nothing which an envious man will not say.

This proverb describes human nature regarding laziness and jealousy. It implies that a person who is unable or unwilling to work (incapable) often makes grand demands or wishes for things without effort, while a person who cannot tolerate others' success (envious) will spread rumors or say anything to belittle them. It is used to criticize those who talk big but do nothing, or those who gossip out of spite.

[ He called ] the woman whom he could not get [as a wife] a harlot. Sour grapes as the fox said when he could not reach them. What you can't have, abuse, (Italian.)

This proverb is used to describe a person's lack of care, respect, or responsibility for something that doesn't belong to them. It highlights how people often neglect, misuse, or treat things poorly when they have no personal stake or ownership in them.

* Quel che non puoi aver, biasima,

Will something that doesn't come by buying it, come by haggling for extras?

This proverb highlights that when a fundamental goal or result cannot be achieved through primary efforts or fair means (buying), it is futile to expect it through minor requests or petty bargaining (haggling). It is used to describe situations where someone tries to get a major benefit through trivial persistence when the main opportunity has already failed.

That which has not been brought forth is not a child ; that which is not worn is not a garment. Nothing belonging to others can make up for the want of one's own.

This expression highlights the value of personal experience, biological connection, and practical utility. It suggests that the true essence or value of something is realized only when it fulfills its primary purpose or has a direct personal bond. It is often used to emphasize that ownership or a relationship is truly meaningful only when it is direct and earned, rather than through secondary means.

Like asking to say something you don't know, I haven't heard, and doesn't exist in the world.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is asked to perform an impossible task or provide information that is non-existent. It highlights the absurdity of a request that defies logic or reality, often used when someone makes unreasonable demands or asks for something completely fictional.

Until the lame ox arrives, they won't lift the beam

This expression is used to describe a situation where people find excuses to delay a task by waiting for someone who is unnecessary or perpetually late. It highlights how work is often stalled or postponed using trivial pretexts, or it can refer to a person who is essential for a specific task despite their flaws.