నగరి పేదా, ఉప్పు చేదా?
nagari peda, uppu cheda?
Is the city poor, or is the salt bitter?
This proverb is used to criticize someone who makes lame excuses or finds faults in things that are generally good or standard. It implies that a city (representing wealth/abundance) cannot be truly poor, and salt cannot be bitter; therefore, the problem lies with the person's perception or their unwillingness to accept reality.
Related Phrases
పేదపేద గూడి పెనగొనియుందురు
pedapeda gudi penagoniyunduru
The poor and the poor gather and stay entwined together.
This expression highlights that people in similar difficult circumstances or poverty tend to stick together for mutual support, comfort, and survival. It suggests that shared struggles create strong bonds among the underprivileged.
పుండు మీద ఉప్పు చల్లినట్లు
pundu mida uppu challinatlu
Like rubbing salt on a wound
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone's existing pain, misfortune, or sorrow is aggravated by further unkindness or additional problems. It is used when a bad situation is made even worse by someone's comments or actions.
తినగా తినగా గారెలు చేదట
tinaga tinaga garelu chedata
Eating and eating, even the fried doughnuts (garelu) turn bitter.
This proverb describes the concept of diminishing returns or over-indulgence. Even something as delicious as 'Garelu' (a savory snack) can become unpleasant or repulsive if consumed in excess. It is used to suggest that anything, no matter how good, loses its charm or becomes tiresome when overdone or repeated too often.
అత్తగారి ఆరళ్ళు కోడలి గారి వేవిళ్ళు.
attagari arallu kodali gari vevillu.
The mother-in-law's harassments are the daughter-in-law's pregnancy cravings.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where one person's suffering or hardship is treated as a triviality or a joke by another. It highlights the power dynamics and lack of empathy in a relationship, specifically referring to how a mother-in-law might dismiss her daughter-in-law's genuine struggles or turn them into something else entirely.
నిప్పులో ఉప్పు వేసినట్లు
nippulo uppu vesinatlu
Like throwing salt into the fire
This expression is used to describe someone who gets extremely irritated, flares up in anger, or reacts with instant agitation. Just as salt crackles and pops loudly when thrown into a fire, it refers to a person's explosive or sharp temper in response to a situation.
చేసినమ్మ చేప చేయనమ్మ చెదలు
chesinamma chepa cheyanamma chedalu
The woman who worked got fish, the woman who didn't got termites.
This proverb emphasizes that hard work leads to fruitful results, while laziness or procrastination leads to waste and decay. It is used to motivate someone to put in effort to reap rewards rather than letting opportunities rot away.
మనిషి పేద అయీతే మాటకు పేదా?
manishi peda ayite mataku peda?
Does it mean that being poor, one should be poor in one’s speech as well?
One may give a noble speech, even if one is financially poor. The nobility of one does not depend on one’s wealth or the lack of it.
ఊరిన పుండుమీద ఉప్పుకారం చల్లినట్లు
urina pundumida uppukaram challinatlu
Like sprinkling salt and chili powder on an oozing wound.
This expression describes a situation where someone's existing pain, sorrow, or misfortune is made even worse by another's actions or words. It is the Telugu equivalent of the English idiom 'To rub salt in the wound'.
కూటికి పేదయితే, కులానికి పేదా?
kutiki pedayite, kulaniki peda?
Though a man be poor, will he lose caste ?
This expression is used to remind others that being economically disadvantaged or lacking wealth does not mean a person lacks self-respect, dignity, or cultural identity. It suggests that poverty affects one's physical needs, but should not diminish their social standing or the respect they deserve.
మాటగొప్ప చెప్ప మాటలు చాలవు
matagoppa cheppa matalu chalavu
Words are not enough to describe the greatness of words.
This expression is used to emphasize that some things are so profound, magnificent, or significant that language itself is insufficient to fully express their value. It is often used when praising someone's eloquence or when describing an overwhelming emotion or situation.