నలుపు ముదిరితే తెలుపు

This proverb suggests that arguing or talking back incessantly ruins the quality of a conversation, much like how moss pollutes and spoils a body of water. It is used to advise against unnecessary arguments or being argumentative for the sake of it.

This expression is used to describe how people or situations evolve into more extreme or devious versions of themselves. It suggests that with age or experience, a person's inherent traits (especially negative ones like cunningness or fickleness) become more pronounced and refined. It is often used to mock someone who has become increasingly manipulative or prone to changing their stance.

This proverb highlights internal conflicts and self-destruction within a community. It means that the biggest threat or decay to a group usually comes from its own members, much like how moss originates from and eventually covers the water it grows in. It is used to describe situations where people harm their own kind.

This is a traditional Telugu proverb used to describe things or people that lose their value, utility, or charm once they pass their prime. Just as an overripe okra becomes too fibrous to cook, certain roles or states of being become problematic or ineffective if they persist too long beyond their ideal time.

This expression highlights that true art and beauty emerge from maturity and intensity. Just as a melody is formed when an emotion (rasam) reaches its peak, and a song becomes sweet like a thick syrup (pakam) when boiled to perfection, excellence in any field is achieved through depth and refinement over time.

This proverb highlights that constant arguing or talking back ruins the quality of a conversation, just as algae/moss spoils the purity of water. It suggests that excessive talkativeness or being argumentative is a negative trait that hinders meaningful communication.

This proverb highlights how people's nature or professional identity changes as they grow older or more experienced. It suggests that with age and experience, individuals often undergo a transformation into a more complex or refined version of themselves, similar to how a common lizard is perceived to change into a more specialized chameleon.

This proverb is used to describe how people or situations can change into more cunning, complex, or undesirable forms over time or with experience. It suggests that certain negative traits or circumstances tend to evolve into more sophisticated versions of themselves rather than improving.

This proverb suggests that just as moss spoils the purity and clarity of water, an obsession with makeup, vanity, or external appearance can ruin the character or integrity of a person. It is used to caution against excessive materialism or preoccupation with looks.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person of very low status, importance, or capability puts on airs or suffers from problems usually associated with those of higher status. It highlights the irony of someone insignificant having an exaggerated or unlikely issue.

The Hindus' cure for the staggers is branding the flanks and legs with a ploughshare. Applied to measures quite out of proportion to the necessities of the case.