లాభం గూబలలోకి వచ్చింది
labham gubalaloki vachchindi
The profit has come into the drums of the ears. A dealer in gāi suffering from the ear-ache put a little of it into his ears. This was all his profit. Applied to any unprofitable transaction.
This expression is used sarcastically to describe a situation where an attempt to make a profit or gain an advantage has instead resulted in a heavy loss, physical punishment, or a stinging slap. It implies that the outcome was the opposite of what was desired.
Related Phrases
గంజిలోకి ఉప్పు లేకుంటే, పాలలోకి పంచదారట
ganjiloki uppu lekunte, palaloki panchadarata
If there is no salt for the gruel, there is sugar for the milk, it seems.
This proverb describes a situation where basic necessities are lacking, yet there are demands or expectations for luxuries. It is used to mock people who cannot afford the bare minimum but aspire for high-end comforts, or to highlight extreme irony in one's financial or social state.
కాపు వచ్చిన ఏడే కరువు వచ్చినది.
kapu vachchina ede karuvu vachchinadi.
The famine came in the very year that the cultivator came to the village. An unfortunate coincidence.
This proverb describes a situation of extreme bad luck or irony where success and disaster occur simultaneously. It is used when a long-awaited positive outcome or reward is immediately neutralized or ruined by an unexpected calamity, leaving no chance to enjoy the fruits of one's labor.
తల ప్రాణం తోకకు వచ్చినట్లు
tala pranam tokaku vachchinatlu
The life in a man's head went into his tail. Applied to strenuous exertions made to accomplish a difficult task.
This expression is used to describe a state of extreme exhaustion, severe struggle, or an incredibly difficult ordeal. It conveys the feeling of being pushed to one's absolute limits, as if one's life force is barely hanging on after a grueling task.
పొగలోనుండి సెగలోకి వచ్చినట్లు
pogalonundi segaloki vachchinatlu
Like moving from smoke into the flames
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to escape a small problem only to end up in a much worse or more dangerous situation. It is the Telugu equivalent of the English idiom 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire'.
లాభం గూబలోకి వచ్చినట్టు
labham gubaloki vachchinattu
The profit reached the earlobe.
This expression is used sarcastically to describe a situation where instead of gaining a profit, one ends up suffering a loss or receiving a blow (physically or metaphorically). It is used when an expected benefit turns into a painful consequence or a 'slap in the face'.
వాడి పని గూట్లోకి వచ్చింది.
vadi pani gutloki vachchindi.
His business has come into the niche.
This expression is used to indicate that someone's time is up, or they have reached the end of their rope. It often implies that someone's mischievous deeds or a specific phase of their life/work is coming to an end, or that they are finally caught or cornered.
He is on his last legs.
తిండికి వచ్చావా? తీర్థానికి వచ్చావా?
tindiki vachchava? tirthaniki vachchava?
Have you come to eat or to visit the shrine ?
This expression is used to question a person's priorities or motives when they seem more interested in superficial benefits (like food) rather than the primary purpose or spiritual significance of an event (like receiving holy water at a temple). It is often used to chide someone who is distracted by secondary perks.
ముందు వచ్చింది ముత్తైదువ, వెనుక వచ్చింది వెధవ
mundu vachchindi muttaiduva, venuka vachchindi vedhava
The first one was a wife, the last one was a widow. i. e. the first died while her husband was alive, the last was degraded to the position of a widow. Old things are thought much of, new ones are not valued.
This expression is used to highlight the importance of being early or punctual. It implies that the first person to arrive or the first effort made receives respect and good fortune, while being late or secondary leads to misfortune or a lack of value. It is often used in situations where priority determines quality or status.
లాభం గూబలలోకి వచ్చింది
labham gubalaloki vachchindi
The profit has reached the ear cavities (temples)
This expression is used sarcastically to describe a situation where an attempt to gain a profit or advantage instead results in a painful loss, physical injury, or a slap in the face. It highlights a deal or action that backfired completely.
లాభం గూబలోకి వచ్చింది, ఆవునెయ్యితో తలంటమన్నాట్ట
labham gubaloki vachchindi, avuneyyito talantamannatta
The profit went into the ear (meaning a loss), yet he ordered a head bath with cow ghee.
This proverb is used to mock someone who pretends to be successful or acts extravagantly even when they have suffered a significant loss or failure. It highlights the irony of showing off luxury while in a state of ruin.