నుయ్యి తీయబోతే దయ్యం బయటపడ్డట్టు

nuyyi tiyabote dayyam bayatapaddattu

Translation

When they began to dig a well, a devil came out. Applied to a sudden and heavy misfortune.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone starts a simple or helpful task but ends up facing an unexpected, major trouble or an scary complication. It highlights how a routine effort can sometimes lead to unforeseen negative consequences.

Related Phrases

A god outside, a devil at home

This expression describes a hypocritical person who acts virtuous, kind, and saintly in public or with strangers, but is cruel, abusive, or ill-tempered with their own family members behind closed doors. It is used to expose someone's double standards or fake personality.

Like trying to make a sage but ending up with a cat instead.

This proverb describes a situation where one attempts to create or achieve something noble, grand, or highly skillful, but due to lack of skill or an unfortunate turn of events, the end result turns out to be something trivial, inferior, or completely different. It is used to mock failed ambitious attempts.

When a person unable to survive jumped into a well, the person who went to rescue him fell into a ditch.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's attempt to help a person in deep trouble results in a bigger disaster or misfortune for the helper themselves. It highlights ironical outcomes where the rescuer ends up in a worse position than the person needing help, or where a bad situation simply compounds into a comedy of errors.

The spinning wheel is come, out the way with your cart. I ask your pardon, coach; I thought you were a wheelbarrow when I stumbled over you. (Irish.)

This expression is used to highlight a mismatch in priorities or a lack of common sense. It refers to someone making an unnecessary fuss or clearing a large path for a very small, insignificant object. It is used when someone overreacts to a minor situation or demands resources that are disproportionate to the task at hand.

Even if the body leaves, the day does not pass.

This expression is used to describe a state of extreme suffering or boredom where time feels agonizingly slow. It suggests that while one's life or strength might be fading away, the day itself feels endless and difficult to get through.

Wife is jaggery, mother is a ghost.

This proverb is used to describe a person who prioritizes his wife and finds her sweet (like jaggery) while neglecting his mother or viewing her as a burden/troublemaker (like a ghost). It is typically used as a criticism of someone who forgets their filial duties after marriage.

His attempt to make [an image of] Ganêśa ended in [the moulding of] a monkey. Mud images of Ganêśa are made and worshipped on the 4th day of the light fortnight in the month Bhâdrapada (August—September). A ridiculous failure.

This proverb describes a situation where one's well-intentioned efforts or ambitious plans go wrong, resulting in a ridiculous or unintended outcome. It is used when someone tries to improve something or create something great but ends up making it worse or spoiling it completely due to lack of skill or poor execution.

Bayyanna reads as long as there is an open field.

This expression is used to describe someone who has very limited or superficial knowledge, or someone who stops learning as soon as the immediate task is done. It mockingly refers to a person who claims to be educated but lacks depth, or whose 'reading' is as shallow as the visible surface of an open field.

When trying to make a sage, it turned into a cat

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to do something great or noble, but due to lack of skill or bad luck, the end result is mediocre or a failure. It is similar to the English expression 'The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.' Note: The user provided 'Malli' (Jasmine) or 'Munni', but the standard proverb is 'Muni' (Sage/Ascetic).

Like a ghost appearing when one went to dig a well

This proverb is used to describe a situation where one starts a task with good intentions or for a basic need, but unexpectedly encounters a huge problem or a hidden danger. It is similar to the English idea of 'opening a can of worms' or discovering an unforeseen complication while performing a routine job.