నిప్పు రగిలించి నీళ్ళకు వెతికినట్లు

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to gain a benefit or enjoy something, but instead ends up getting trapped in a problem or incurring an unwanted responsibility. It is similar to the English concept of 'getting more than one bargained for' in a negative sense.

Historically, in some traditions, widows had their heads shaved. This expression refers to performing a completely futile, useless, or impossible task. It is used to describe someone who is wasting time looking for something that clearly does not exist or engaged in a meaningless investigation.

Similar to ‘the devil citing the scripture’, which suggests that an evildoer may try to justify his evil actions, by cleverly citing the sacred books. It is defending the indefensible.

This expression refers to a situation where someone overthinks or over-investigates a simple matter to such an extent that they lose their sanity or common sense. It is used when excessive scrutiny or unnecessary searching leads to confusion and eventual failure instead of a solution.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to gain a benefit or take advantage of something, but instead ends up getting trapped in a problem or creating a new liability for themselves. It is similar to the English concept of 'getting more than one bargained for' in a negative sense.

This proverb is used to describe a futile or illogical effort. It refers to someone looking for something in a place where it no longer exists, or trying to apply outdated solutions to current situations. It emphasizes that time moves on and things change, so searching in the past for present needs is useless.

This proverb is used to describe a futile, meaningless, or impossible task. It refers to wasting time and effort looking for something that clearly does not exist or searching for faults where there are none.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone acts too late or starts searching for a solution only after the disaster has already occurred. It highlights a lack of foresight and the futility of being unprepared.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone tries to avoid a problem or a minor inconvenience, but in doing so, accidentally lands themselves in a bigger trouble or a different mess. It is similar to the English idiom 'Out of the frying pan and into the fire.'

This expression is used to describe a futile or impossible task. Just as it is impossible to find footprints or traces of a path in water, it refers to searching for something that leaves no evidence behind or attempting a hopeless endeavor.