ఒకరు ఏటికి తీస్తే, ఇంకొకరు కాటికి తీసినట్లు.
okaru etiki tiste, inkokaru katiki tisinatlu.
If one pulls towards the river, another pulls towards the cremation ground.
This proverb describes a situation where there is a total lack of coordination or cooperation between people. It is used when individuals work at cross-purposes or pull in opposite directions, making it impossible to achieve a common goal.
Related Phrases
ఒకరి కలిమి ఇంకొకరి ఏడుపుకు కారణం
okari kalimi inkokari edupuku karanam
One person's wealth is the cause of another person's crying.
This expression refers to the envious nature of humans, where someone else's prosperity or success causes jealousy and sorrow in others. It is used to describe the phenomenon of 'Schadenfreude' in reverse or simply pure envy regarding a neighbor's or peer's good fortune.
పేరు ఒకరిది, నోరు ఇంకొకరిది
peru okaridi, noru inkokaridi
The name belongs to one person, but the voice/mouth belongs to another.
This expression is used to describe a situation where one person is officially in charge or holds a title, but another person is actually doing the talking, making the decisions, or exerting the influence. It highlights a disconnect between official authority and actual control.
ఎలుగుబంటికి తలనీలాలు తీసినట్టు
elugubantiki talanilalu tisinattu
Like pulling a bear's hairs out with tweezers. An endless business. A cask that will never fill. (Greek.)
This expression is used to describe a task that is extremely difficult, messy, or practically impossible to complete because of the nature of the subject. Just as shaving a bear would be a chaotic and dangerous ordeal, this refers to situations that are more trouble than they are worth.
చట్రాతిన నారు తీసినట్లు
chatratina naru tisinatlu
Like plucking seedlings from a flat rock.
This expression is used to describe a situation or task that is extremely difficult, futile, or yields very little result despite great effort. Just as it is impossible for seeds to grow deep roots or thrive on a solid rock surface, attempting to get something out of a stubborn person or a hopeless situation is compared to this act.
ఏరు తీసినట్టు
eru tisinattu
Like the flood subsiding. Perfect stillness after a tumult. After a storm comes a calm.
This expression is used to describe something that has been done with extreme precision, neatness, or perfection. It is most commonly used to compliment beautiful handwriting, straight lines, or a very well-executed task that looks flawlessly continuous and smooth.
జుట్టులో నార తీసినట్లు
juttulo nara tisinatlu
Like extracting fiber from hair
This expression describes a task that is practically impossible or an attempt to find something where it doesn't exist. It is used to mock someone who is being overly pedantic, searching for non-existent flaws, or attempting a futile, logic-defying action.
ఒకటి తరక, ఇంకొకటి తాలు.
okati taraka, inkokati talu.
One is a broken piece, and the other is a hollow husk.
This expression is used to describe two people or things that are equally useless, defective, or of poor quality. It highlights that there is no choice between them because neither has any value, often used when comparing two options that are both unsatisfactory.
దంచేదొకరు, పక్కలెగరేసేదింకొకరు
danchedokaru, pakkalegaresedinkokaru
One person does the pounding, while another person shrugs their shoulders.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where one person does all the hard work while someone else takes the credit or behaves as if they are the ones exhausted or responsible. It highlights the injustice of labor and the pretense of involvement by others.
కోర్టు కెక్కినవారు, ఒకరు ఆవు కొమ్మును, ఇంకొకరు తోకను పట్టుకొంటే, వకీలు పొదుగు దగ్గర కూర్చుంటాడు
kortu kekkinavaru, okaru avu kommunu, inkokaru tokanu pattukonte, vakilu podugu daggara kurchuntadu
When people go to court, if one person holds the cow's horns and the other holds the tail, the lawyer sits at the udder.
This proverb serves as a warning against litigation. It suggests that while two parties fight over a property (the cow) and waste their energy and resources holding onto it, the only person who truly benefits from the dispute is the lawyer, who extracts the profit (the milk) from both sides in the form of fees.
కల్యాణానికి ఒకరు వస్తే, కన్నం వేసేదానికి ఇంకొకరు వస్తారు.
kalyananiki okaru vaste, kannam vesedaniki inkokaru vastaru.
If one person comes for the wedding, another comes to dig a hole (burglary).
This proverb describes how different people have different intentions when a major event occurs. While some attend a celebration with good intentions to participate in the joy, others look for opportunities to exploit the situation for their own selfish or criminal gain. It is used to caution that one must be wary of opportunists during busy times.