నిక్కు నీలపల్లెలో, బ్రతుకు మాలపల్లెలో

nikku nilapallelo, bratuku malapallelo

Translation

Arrogance in Nilapalle, but living in Malapalle.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who puts on an air of superiority or great pride despite living in poor or humble conditions. It mocks the hypocrisy of someone who acts wealthy or high-class while their actual situation is quite the opposite.

Related Phrases

Devotion gone into the water, and the mantra gone to the outcasts.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where all the hard work, meticulous effort, or ritualistic care put into a task goes completely to waste or is rendered useless due to a small mistake or an unfortunate turn of events. It implies that the sanctity or value of an endeavor has been lost.

Will jasmine flowers bloom on Calotropis plants?

This proverb is used to emphasize that one's inherent nature or upbringing cannot be changed. It suggests that good qualities or noble results cannot be expected from something that is fundamentally bad or inferior, just as a fragrant jasmine cannot grow on a bitter Calotropis (Jilledu) shrub.

The house belongs to the flies, the backyard belongs to the mosquitoes.

This proverb is used to describe a state of utter neglect, lack of maintenance, or mismanagement of a property or household. It highlights a situation where, due to the absence or carelessness of the inhabitants, the premises have been completely overrun by pests.

A woman's life is like a banana leaf.

This proverb highlights the perceived vulnerability and fragility of a woman's life in traditional society. Like a banana leaf, which gets damaged whether it falls on a thorn or a thorn falls on it, a woman's reputation or life is seen as being easily affected by circumstances regardless of who is at fault.

Minor authority in a village lasts for ten hours.

This proverb describes a situation where someone exercises small-scale, insignificant authority or interference in petty matters. It implies that such power is short-lived and lacks real substance or long-term impact.

The "Eight prayers" said in a Pariah hamlet.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where something sophisticated, sacred, or highly intellectual is presented to an audience that cannot understand, appreciate, or value it. It signifies performing an action that is completely out of place or inappropriate for the given context or setting.

Do jasmine flowers bloom on crown flower plants?

This expression is used to signify that good results or noble qualities cannot be expected from someone who is inherently bad or from a source that is inferior. It is similar to the English proverb 'You cannot gather grapes from thorns'.

The wife is in Atmakur, the husband in Boyanapalli, the pots in Kunuthuru, and the wedding rice in Tadipatri.

This proverb describes a situation of extreme disorganization or premature planning where essential components are scattered in different places. It is used to mock people who talk about grand plans or events (like a wedding) when none of the necessary elements or people are coordinated or present together.

If there is a village, won't there be a labor colony?

This proverb is used to express that wherever there is a society or a larger structure, there will naturally be a working class or diverse sections associated with it. In a broader context, it implies that certain consequences or accompanying elements are inevitable given a specific situation.

When the whole village bloomed with onions, the dalit hamlet bloomed with jasmine.

This proverb is used to describe a person who behaves contrary to the general trend or logic of their surroundings. It highlights an ironic or defiant situation where someone claims or exhibits something high-end or beautiful (jasmine) while everyone else is dealing with something common or pungent (onions).