మక్కికి మక్కి

This proverb is used to describe a situation where two deceptive or cunning people try to cheat each other, or a transaction between two equally worthless or unreliable parties. It implies that neither side is superior in honesty, and they are perfectly matched in their trickery.

Two travellers met : one had a bundle of sand, the other a bundle of cowdung ; one said his bundle contained raw rice, the other that his con- tained boiled rice. They agreed to exchange, and immediately ran off in different directions, each to find himself outwitted by the other. ( See story 54, in Telugu Selections ). One trick is met by another. (Spanish.)

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone works extremely hard on a task, but receives very little or insignificant benefit compared to the effort put in. It refers to the manual labor of pounding grain, where the worker might only get to eat a few grains that fall into her mouth while the bulk of the produce goes to someone else.

This expression is used to describe a person who goes on a great or sacred journey (or takes on a significant opportunity) but returns with something worthless or engages in something trivial and disgraceful. It highlights the irony of wasting a valuable opportunity or a holy pilgrimage by focusing on or bringing back something foul.

This expression refers to a person or thing in a highly precarious or unstable position. Just as a tree on a riverbank is at constant risk of being uprooted or washed away by floods, it describes someone whose life, job, or situation is uncertain and could collapse at any moment.

This expression is used to describe a futile action or an attempt to evoke a reaction from someone who is completely indifferent, emotionless, or stubborn. Just as a stone statue cannot feel or react to being tickled, some people remain unaffected by persuasion, humor, or criticism.

This proverb is used to describe a person who shamelessly goes back to something they previously rejected, insulted, or abandoned. It highlights a lack of self-respect or dignity in seeking out discarded things or toxic situations for personal gain.

This expression describes a futile effort where one tries to evoke a reaction or emotion from someone who is completely indifferent, heartless, or unresponsive. It is used when advice or humor falls on deaf ears, or when someone remains unmoved despite significant attempts to engage them.

This proverb is used to describe a person who returns to something they once rejected or discarded with disgust. It highlights a lack of self-respect or dignity when someone seeks out a thing, person, or position they previously deemed worthless or beneath them.

This is a traditional Telugu saying used by elders to reassure worried parents when an infant spits up milk. It suggests that vomiting is a sign of a healthy appetite or overfeeding, and implies that the child is growing well and will remain healthy.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's apparent suffering or 'pitiful' condition is actually caused by their own greed or excessive desire for the very thing they are complaining about. It mocks people who act like victims to get what they want.