మనిషి ఉన్ననాడు మజ్జిగ లేదు, ఒలిక మీద కట్టివేయను పాడి ఆవు.
manishi unnanadu majjiga ledu, olika mida kattiveyanu padi avu.
When the person was there, there was no buttermilk; when he is on the funeral pyre, a milch cow is tied (to be given away).
This proverb describes the irony of neglecting a person's needs while they are alive and making grand, useless gestures or charitable acts in their name after they are dead. It is used to criticize people who lack compassion in real-time but perform rituals for social status or post-mortem merit.
Related Phrases
దున్నపోతు ఈనిందంటే, దూడను కట్టేయమన్నట్టు
dunnapotu inindante, dudanu katteyamannattu
When someone says the male buffalo has given birth, asking to tie up the calf.
This proverb describes a situation where someone blindly believes or acts upon a piece of information that is logically impossible or absurd. It is used to mock people who lack common sense or those who follow instructions without questioning their validity, even when the premise (a male buffalo giving birth) is clearly false.
మనిషి కాటుకు మందు లేదు.
manishi katuku mandu ledu.
There is no medicine for the bite of a man. The bite of an enraged man is said to be fatally poisonous.
This proverb refers to the malicious nature of human behavior, specifically betrayal, gossip, or cruelty. While there are remedies for snake bites or animal wounds, the damage caused by a person's words or actions can be irreparable and impossible to heal with physical medicine.
ఎద్దు ఈనిందంటే గాట కట్టివేయమన్నట్లు
eddu inindante gata kattiveyamannatlu
When someone says the ox has given birth, asking to tie the calf to the stake.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone blindly follows or supports a baseless or illogical statement without thinking. Since oxen are male and cannot give birth, the response of 'tying the calf' shows a lack of common sense and a tendency to jump to conclusions based on hearsay.
తాగబోతే మజ్జిగ లేదు అంటే, పెరుగుకు చీటి వ్రాయమన్నట్టు.
tagabote majjiga ledu ante, peruguku chiti vrayamannattu.
After being refused butter-milk, when he went himself, he ordered his servant to write for curds. After being refused a trifling request, to demand authoritatively some- thing much greater.
This proverb describes a person who makes unrealistic or extravagant demands when even the basic requirements cannot be met. It is used to mock someone's lack of common sense or their inability to understand the gravity of a scarcity, similar to the expression 'let them eat cake.'
తురక దాసరికి ఈత మజ్జిగ
turaka dasariki ita majjiga
The butter-milk of a Mussulman mendicant is Toddy. Applied to pretended sanctity.
This proverb describes a situation where something inappropriate or mismatched is offered to someone based on their unique circumstances or lack of options. It refers to a person who follows a lifestyle that is a peculiar mix of different traditions, leading to them receiving things that don't quite fit the standard norms of either.
కడివెడు పాలకు ఒక మజ్జిగబొట్టు
kadivedu palaku oka majjigabottu
A single drop of buttermilk for a pot full of milk
This proverb refers to how a small negative influence or a tiny mistake can transform or ruin something large and pure. Just as a drop of buttermilk curdles an entire pot of milk, one bad person can influence a group, or one small error can change the entire outcome of a situation.
మజ్జిగకు మజ్జిగ, ఆశకు ఆశ
majjigaku majjiga, ashaku asha
A fly to a fly. ( Hind. )
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to benefit from both sides or keep something for themselves while pretending to share. It signifies a person's dual nature of being stingy while acting as if they are fulfilling a duty or being generous.
బిచ్చము వేయకున్నా మానెగాని, కుక్కను కట్టివేయమన్నట్లు
bichchamu veyakunna manegani, kukkanu kattiveyamannatlu
It's fine if you don't give alms, but please tie up the dog.
This proverb is used when someone, instead of helping, creates further obstacles or trouble. It describes a situation where a person seeking help is willing to forgo the assistance as long as the other person stops causing additional harm or annoyance.
మంది ఎక్కువయితే మజ్జిగ పలచన
mandi ekkuvayite majjiga palachana
If there are more people, the buttermilk will be thinner. i. e. more water will be added.
This expression describes a situation where too many people being involved in a task leads to a decline in quality, or when resources are spread too thin to be effective. It is similar to the English proverb 'Too many cooks spoil the broth'.
మర్చిపోయి మజ్జిగలో చల్లపోశాను అన్నట్లు
marchipoyi majjigalo challaposhanu annatlu
Like saying 'I forgot and poured buttermilk into the buttermilk'.
This expression is used to describe a person who tries to cover up a mistake with a silly or redundant excuse. It highlights an act of doing something completely unnecessary or repetitive and then acting as if it were a genuine oversight, often used to mock someone's illogical reasoning.