నవ్వు నాలుగందాల చేటు

navvu nalugandala chetu

Translation

Laughter is harmful in four ways

Meaning

This proverb is used to caution against excessive or inappropriate laughter. It suggests that while laughing is generally good, laughing too much, at the wrong time, or at others can lead to loss of dignity, misunderstanding, or unnecessary trouble.

Related Phrases

Laughter is harmful in four (many ) ways.

This is used when one laughs unnecessarily or too much. For every action there is a proper place and proper time. When the action does not take these considerations into account, it will land people in trouble or awkward situation.

A miser suffers loss in four ways

This proverb explains that a miser, in an attempt to save small amounts of money, often ends up facing much larger losses or multiple disadvantages. It is used to highlight how extreme stinginess can backfire, leading to poor quality of life, loss of reputation, and eventual financial or material waste.

Is this 'Yella Erukulamma' a relative to any village?

This proverb is used to describe someone who claims to be related to everyone or tries to act overly familiar with people they don't actually know. It is often used to criticize a person who meddles in everyone's business or pretends to have connections everywhere just to fit in or gain advantage.

Silly laughter produces much harm.

This proverb suggests that excessive or inappropriate laughter can lead to trouble, loss of respect, or unintended conflicts. It is used as a cautionary saying to advise maintaining decorum and seriousness, especially in formal or sensitive situations, implying that too much humor can be detrimental.

Laughter is the hiccup of a fool.

A hypocrite's smile leads to ruin in four directions.

This proverb is used to describe a person who appears innocent or modest (a hypocrite) but is actually cunning. It warns that relying on or being deceived by the fake sweetness of such a person will lead to trouble or loss from all sides.

A herd for the wetland, red soil/manure for the field.

This proverb highlights traditional agricultural wisdom. It means that to get a good yield, a paddy field (wetland) needs the natural fertilization provided by a herd of cattle staying on it, while dry crop fields require proper soil enrichment or manuring. It is used to emphasize that different tasks or situations require specific, appropriate treatments to succeed.

If the cow is black, is the milk also black?

This proverb is used to emphasize that external appearance does not define internal quality or character. Just as a black cow still yields white milk, a person's outward look or status does not dictate their inner worth or the value of their contribution.

A miser suffers loss on all sides. False economy. A stingy man is always poor. (French.)

This proverb highlights that a greedy or stingy person often ends up losing more than they save. Due to their excessive desire to save money, they might compromise on quality, health, or relationships, eventually leading to bigger financial or personal losses from multiple directions.

If the daughter-in-law be black, the whole family will be blackened. i. e. a bad daughter-in-law will bring disgrace on her husband's family.

This proverb reflects traditional social biases where the qualities or perceived flaws of a new entrant (the daughter-in-law) are unfairly attributed to the reputation or lineage of the entire family. It is often used to describe how a single person's traits or actions are sometimes used by society to judge an entire community or group.

Laughter for the fox - a danger for the crab.

This proverb describes a situation that is joyful for one person but fatal or disastrous for another. It is used to highlight instances where someone's amusement comes at the cost of another's survival or well-being, similar to the English expression 'one man's meat is another man's poison.'