నీరులేని తావున మెట్ట అని ఇల్లు కట్టుకున్నట్లు

niruleni tavuna metta ani illu kattukunnatlu

Translation

Like building a house on a high ground (upland) because there is no water.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone takes an extreme or counter-productive decision to avoid a specific problem, only to face a different set of hardships. It refers to building a home in an inconvenient, dry, or elevated area just to stay away from water/floods, but then suffering from the lack of basic water resources for daily survival. It highlights poor planning or overcompensating for one issue while creating another.

Related Phrases

A village without water and a village without a god are the same whether they exist or not.

This proverb emphasizes that water is as fundamental to life as faith or spiritual guidance is to a community. It suggests that a village lacking basic necessities (water) or moral/spiritual foundations (a temple/god) is effectively uninhabitable and serves no purpose, rendering its existence meaningless.

Going for pride and tying a mortar stone around one's neck

This expression describes a situation where someone, driven by ego or a false sense of pride, takes on a burden or makes a decision that ultimately causes them great hardship or self-destruction. It is used when someone's stubbornness or anger leads to a self-inflicted problem.

A mother-in-law is never soft, and a knife is never soft.

This proverb is used to describe relationships or objects that are inherently sharp or harsh by nature. It suggests that just as a knife's purpose is to cut and it cannot be blunt or soft, a mother-in-law (in traditional contexts) is expected to be strict or demanding, and one should not expect otherwise.

Like tying leaf plates back onto the tree

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to fix or undo something that is already broken, finished, or irreversibly changed in a way that is unnatural or futile. It refers to the impossible task of making a cut leaf part of the living tree again.

Like bringing the very ropes that will be used to tie oneself up.

This proverb describes a situation where a person's own actions, decisions, or words inadvertently lead to their own downfall, trouble, or restriction. It is used when someone creates the very tools or circumstances that others eventually use against them.

Like searching for lice in a place where there is no hair.

This expression is used to describe a futile or impossible task. It refers to someone wasting their time and effort trying to find something in a place where it couldn't possibly exist.

The husband one is married to, the jewelry one is wearing.

This expression highlights the items or people that truly belong to a person and provide real security or status. It is used to emphasize that only what is legally yours or physically in your possession can be relied upon in times of need or social standing.

A child in arms won't stop crying even if you hit it.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one is forced to endure a burden or responsibility they have voluntarily taken up. Once you have committed to helping someone or taking on a task (lifting the child), you must bear the consequences and difficulties (the crying/trouble) that come with it until the end.

Like tying a stone mortar around one's neck out of pride or spite.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a person, driven by ego, pride, or stubbornness, takes an action that only causes them self-harm or creates an unnecessary burden. It highlights the foolishness of letting one's emotions lead to a decision that is difficult to sustain or carries heavy consequences.

A crop without water, a wick without oil.

This expression is used to describe a situation or person that is completely helpless, weak, or nearing their end because they lack the essential support or resources needed to survive. Just as a crop cannot grow without water and a lamp cannot burn without oil, a person or project cannot succeed without basic necessities.