ముందు వచ్చినదానికి ముగ్గురు మొగుళ్ళు, వెనుక వచ్చినదానికి వేగుళ్ళు.

mundu vachchinadaniki mugguru mogullu, venuka vachchinadaniki vegullu.

Translation

The one who arrived first has three husbands, while the one who arrived later has pregnancy cravings.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where an experienced person or someone who arrived early is neglected or treated with indifference, while a newcomer or a later arrival receives excessive attention, special treatment, or pampered care. It highlights the irony of human nature where novelty is often valued over experience or seniority.

Related Phrases

The one who died first is a sumangali (auspicious woman), the one who followed is a widow.

This proverb is used to comment on irony or hypocritical situations where people judge others based on timing or status, even when they share a similar fate. It highlights that the first person to experience a situation or commit an act often gains a higher status or 'moral ground' compared to the second person who does the exact same thing.

The horns which came last are sharper than the ears which came first. Said of a new comer wishing to usurp authority over his seniors.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a newcomer, junior, or younger person surpasses their senior or predecessor in skill, power, or success. It highlights that experience (age) doesn't always guarantee superiority over late-blooming talent or sharp ambition.

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.

The children of the deceased woman are under the feet of the newcomer.

This proverb describes the plight of motherless children who are often neglected or mistreated by a stepmother or a new person entering the household. It is used to highlight situations where vulnerable individuals lose their protection and are left at the mercy of someone who may not care for their well-being.

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.

First for food, last for the army (war).

This expression is used to describe a lazy or opportunistic person who is always the first to appear when there is a meal or benefit, but the first to hide or stay behind when there is hard work, danger, or a responsibility to fulfill.

First for the offering, last for the work.

This expression describes a lazy person who is always the first to show up when food or rewards are being distributed, but the last to volunteer or show up when there is actual work to be done. It is used to mock opportunistic laziness.

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.

The time when a child arrives, and the time when cattle arrive.

This proverb highlights that certain arrival events, such as the birth of a child or the purchase/arrival of livestock, are seen as significant markers of fate. It is used to describe how the timing of these events is often associated with the subsequent prosperity or misfortunes that befall a family, suggesting that the 'auspiciousness' of their arrival time influences the household's future.

Calumny is not removed even by death.

This expression is used to describe a deeply ingrained habit, trait, or skill that stays with a person throughout their lifetime. It suggests that once something is learned or becomes part of a person's nature, it is nearly impossible to change or get rid of it.

Slander leaves a slur. Give a dog an ill name, and you may as well hang him.