మూడు మూరల ఒక చుట్టు, ముప్పై మూరల ఒక చుట్టు.
mudu murala oka chuttu, muppai murala oka chuttu.
Three cubits once round, thirty cubits once round [ the body ]. A woman on being given cloths of different lengths, complained in each case that the cloth would go only once round her body. Not to be satisfied.
This proverb refers to efficiency and laziness. It describes a situation where one person wraps a rope or cloth carefully in small, precise loops (three cubits), while another person, out of laziness or haste, wraps it in huge, messy loops (thirty cubits) just to finish the job quickly. It is used to criticize sloppy work done without attention to detail.
Related Phrases
వట్టి చెయ్యి మూర వేస్తే, యేమి ఫలము?
vatti cheyyi mura veste, yemi phalamu?
If you measure cubits with an empty hand, what is the use of it? i. e. what is the use of measuring the air.
This proverb is used to point out the futility of performing actions on something that doesn't exist or has no substance. Just as measuring empty air with one's arm (a cubit) yields nothing, planning or calculating based on non-existent resources or empty promises is useless.
Vain hopes.
మొండిచేతితో మూర వేసినట్లు
mondichetito mura vesinatlu
Like measuring a cubit with a stump of a hand.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to do something impossible or lacks the necessary tools/means to complete a task. It highlights the futility or inaccuracy of an action when the essential component required for success is missing.
ఉత్త చేతులు మూర వేసినట్టు
utta chetulu mura vesinattu
Like measuring the air.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone makes grand plans or claims without having any resources, basis, or substance. It refers to the futility of trying to measure length (a cubit) when you have nothing to measure or no foundation to work from.
Idle dreams.
కాలికి చుట్టుకున్న పాము కరవక మానదు
kaliki chuttukunna pamu karavaka manadu
A snake coiled around the leg will not stop without biting.
This expression is used to describe a persistent problem, a dangerous person, or a bad habit that is impossible to ignore or escape from without suffering some damage. It suggests that once you are entangled with something inherently harmful, the negative consequences are inevitable.
మంచివానికి ఒక మాట, మూర్ఖునికి ఒక చేట.
manchivaniki oka mata, murkhuniki oka cheta.
A word to a good man, [ a blow with ] a sieve for an obsti- nate blockhead.
This proverb highlights the difference in receptiveness to advice. A wise or good-natured person understands and corrects their behavior with just a simple word of advice. However, an obstinate or foolish person will not learn unless they are punished or dealt with harshly (metaphorically represented by a 'cheta' or winnowing basket). It is used to suggest that different people require different levels of persuasion or discipline.
A blow with a sieve, a broom, or a slipper is very degrading.
కాలికి చుట్టుకున్న పాము కరవక మానదు
kaliki chuttukunna pamu karavaka manadu
A snake coiled around the leg will not stop without biting.
This proverb is used to describe a dangerous person or an unavoidable problem that has already entered one's life. It suggests that once you are entangled with a malicious person or a critical trouble, it will inevitably cause harm before it leaves. It serves as a warning that certain threats cannot be ignored or pacified easily.
ఉప్పుతో ముప్పై ఆరు ఉంటే, ఉత్తముండయినా వండుతుంది.
upputo muppai aru unte, uttamundayina vandutundi.
If you have with salt the thirty-six a stupid woman even can cook. There are thirty-six requisites, it is said, for cooking, salt included.
This proverb suggests that with the right resources and abundance of materials, even an unskilled person can achieve a good result. It is used to highlight that success is easier when one has all the necessary tools and supplies at their disposal.
పాపమని పాత చీర ఇస్తే గోడ చాటుకు వెళ్ళి ముర వేసిందట.
papamani pata chira iste goda chatuku velli mura vesindata.
A (woman) secretly measures the length of a saree given out of pity.
It is like looking a gift horse in the mouth. Without being grateful, some people find fault even with generous people.
మాట చుట్టమేగాని, పూట చుట్టం కాదు.
mata chuttamegani, puta chuttam kadu.
A relative in words, but not a relative at mealtime.
This expression describes people who offer verbal sympathy or make grand promises but disappear when actual help or hospitality (like providing a meal) is required. It refers to someone who is friendly only on the surface and avoids the responsibility of true friendship or kinship.
ముప్ఫై ఏళ్ళ ఆడదీ, మూడేళ్ళ మొగవాడూ ఒకటి.
mupphai ella adadi, mudella mogavadu okati.
A woman thirty years old and a man three years old are one [ in strength ].
This proverb highlights a traditional observation regarding maturity and knowledge. It suggests that by the age of thirty, a woman typically attains a level of worldly wisdom, patience, and household management skills that makes her as sharp and capable in her sphere as a three-year-old boy is in his peak stage of rapid learning, curiosity, and observation. It is often used to emphasize the intelligence and practical sense of women.