ఓకారము రానివాడు వడ్లు గుణించినట్టు.
okaramu ranivadu vadlu guninchinattu.
Like one who does not know the alphabet attempting multiplication.
This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic, fundamental knowledge of a subject yet attempts to perform complex tasks within that field. It highlights the absurdity of someone skipping the basics and trying to handle advanced matters, leading to inevitable failure or confusion.
Related Phrases
వైద్యము నేరనివాడూ, వానకు తడియనివాడూ లేడు.
vaidyamu neranivadu, vanaku tadiyanivadu ledu.
There is not a man who knows not medicine, nor one who has not been wet by rain. Every man is a fool or a physician at forty.
This proverb highlights that basic medical knowledge (home remedies) is common among everyone, just as experiencing rain is universal. It is often used to suggest that everyone has some level of practical wisdom or that certain life experiences are unavoidable and shared by all.
గడించే వాడొకడు, గుణించేవాడొకడు
gadinche vadokadu, guninchevadokadu
One person earns, while another person counts (calculates).
This expression is used to describe a situation where one person works hard to earn wealth or resources, while another person (often someone lazy or opportunistic) takes charge of managing, spending, or calculating that wealth without having contributed to the effort. It highlights the disparity between the laborer and the beneficiary.
రాళ్లు గుండ్లు దొర్లించినట్టు మాట్లాడుతాడు
rallu gundlu dorlinchinattu matladutadu
He speaks like one rolling stones and boulders. Said of a man who speaks boldly whether right or wrong.
This expression is used to describe someone who speaks in a very loud, harsh, or thundering voice. It characterizes a person's speech as being blunt, noisy, and lacking in softness or politeness, much like the loud rumbling sound produced by rolling large stones.
రాగము రానివాడూ, రోగము లేనివాడూ లేడు
ragamu ranivadu, rogamu lenivadu ledu
There is no one who cannot hum a tune, there is no one free from disease.
This expression suggests that everyone has some hidden talent or inclination toward music (or emotion), just as everyone has some physical or mental imperfection. It is used to highlight the commonality of human traits and the inevitability of minor flaws in every individual.
* Veritas non quaerit angulos.
తూమెడు వడ్లు తూర్పారపెట్టేటప్పటికి ఏదుము వడ్లు ఎలుకలు తిని పోయినవి.
tumedu vadlu turparapettetappatiki edumu vadlu elukalu tini poyinavi.
While he was winnowing one Tûm of rice, the rats devoured five Tûms.
This proverb describes a situation where the effort put into a small task results in a disproportionately large loss elsewhere due to negligence. It is used to mock people who focus on trivial matters while ignoring significant damage occurring right under their noses, or when the cost of an operation exceeds the benefit gained.
Tûm is the Indian bushel.
పెరుగు వడ్లు కలిపినట్లు
perugu vadlu kalipinatlu
Like mixing curd and paddy (unhusked rice)
This expression describes an incompatible or mismatched combination. Just as mixing curd with unhusked rice makes it impossible to eat or separate effectively, it is used to characterize situations where two things that don't belong together are joined, or when a task is done in a messy, disorganized, and unusable manner.
పెరుగూ వడ్లూ కలిపినట్టు.
perugu vadlu kalipinattu.
Like mixing rice in the husk with curds.
This expression is used to describe an incompatible or mismatched combination. Just as smooth yogurt and hard, prickly unhusked rice do not blend well or make for a pleasant meal, it refers to situations where two people, things, or ideas are brought together but do not fit or work in harmony.
గూనివాడు పడుకొనేవల్ల గూనివానికే తెలుసును.
gunivadu padukonevalla gunivanike telusunu.
The humpback alone knows how he can lie comfortably.
This proverb conveys that only the person suffering from a specific problem or hardship truly understands its depth and the unique ways they have to cope with it. It is used to emphasize that outsiders cannot fully grasp someone else's personal struggles or the adjustments they must make to survive.
Every man kens best where his own shoe pinches. ( Scotch.)
తూమెడు వడ్లు తూర్పారపెట్టేటప్పటికి ఏదుము వడ్లు ఎలుకలు తినిపోయినవి.
tumedu vadlu turparapettetappatiki edumu vadlu elukalu tinipoyinavi.
By the time one 'thumu' of grain was winnowed, rats ate up five 'thumus' of grain.
This proverb describes a situation where the effort spent on a small task results in a much larger loss due to negligence or lack of focus on the bigger picture. It is used when someone's trivial gains are outweighed by significant, preventable losses occurring simultaneously.
వ్రాత రానివాడు కోత కరణం, వ్రాతా కోతా రానివాడు మేతకరణం.
vrata ranivadu kota karanam, vrata kota ranivadu metakaranam.
One who cannot write becomes a harvest clerk, one who can neither write nor harvest becomes a grazing clerk.
This proverb is a sarcastic take on incompetence and nepotism. It describes how people who lack basic skills for a job are often shuffled into unnecessary or invented administrative roles ('clerk' positions) where they contribute nothing but still consume resources. It is used to mock bureaucracy or people who hold titles without having the actual capability to perform work.