మూడు నాళ్ల ముత్తయిదువతనానికి ఆరు జోళ్ల లక్క ఆకులా?

mudu nalla muttayiduvatananiki aru jolla lakka akula?

Translation

Are three pairs of leaf-earrings [ wanted ] for three days of wedlock ? Earrings of palm leaves, coloured with lac are worn by brides. Said of an unfortunate young widow.

Meaning

This proverb is used to criticize someone who makes excessive, unnecessary preparations or investments for a very short-term or temporary situation. It highlights the disproportion between the effort/cost and the actual duration or value of the event.

Related Phrases

When asked to speak auspicious words, the groom said all the married women at the wedding are his senior wives.

This proverb is used to describe a person who says something incredibly foolish, offensive, or inappropriate when asked to speak or act properly. It highlights the irony of someone ruining a positive situation by being tactless or utterly lacking common sense.

Six pairs of sandals for a three-day desire?

This expression is used to criticize excessive or disproportionate preparation for a very short-term event or a temporary situation. It highlights the absurdity of wasting huge resources on something that won't last long.

When the impatient woman reached puberty at dawn, the clever woman claimed she reached puberty at sunrise.

This proverb is used to mock people who try to one-up others or claim superior status over something common or inevitable. It describes a situation where one person tries to appear more special or 'advanced' than someone else by making a trivial distinction, even when both are in the same situation.

A three-day pleasure

This expression refers to something that is short-lived or a temporary joy. It is used to describe situations, relationships, or trends that are transient and do not last for a long time.

I lack nothing, but I am a widow.

This proverb describes a situation where one possesses all kinds of material wealth, comforts, and luxuries, but lacks the most essential or vital element that gives meaning to everything else. In a traditional context, it refers to a woman having everything except her husband, but it is used metaphorically to highlight any situation that is technically complete but practically worthless due to a single major void.

Six pairs of lacquered leaves for a three-day married life.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone makes an excessive or extravagant display for a very short-lived or insignificant event. It highlights the absurdity of over-preparing or over-spending on something that lacks longevity or substance.

Neither a widow, nor a married woman. Said by a man kept in suspense, neither granted nor refused a request, and not knowing whether he was to be as fortunate as a married woman or as unfortunate as a widow.

This expression is used to describe someone or something that is in an ambiguous or uncertain state, belonging to neither of two distinct categories. It often refers to a person who lacks a clear identity or a situation that remains unresolved and 'in-between.'

Like shaving off one's mustache for a three-day play.

This expression describes someone who makes a permanent or disproportionately large sacrifice for a very temporary or short-term benefit. It is used to caution against impulsive decisions where the loss outweighs the gain of a fleeting event.

Out of rhythm

This expression literally means to lose the beat or rhythm in music or dance. Idiomatically, it describes a situation where a process, life, or a system has lost its regular order, consistency, or harmony.

A three-day pleasure

This expression is used to describe something that is short-lived, fleeting, or temporary. It refers to a situation, trend, or happiness that lasts for a very brief period and then vanishes, similar to the English phrase 'nine days' wonder'.