ఓలి తక్కువని గుడ్డిదానిని పెళ్ళాడితే, నెలకు ముప్పై కుండలు నీళ్ళాడుతాయి.

oli takkuvani guddidanini pelladite, nelaku muppai kundalu nilladutayi.

Translation

If you marry a blind woman just because the dowry/bride-price is low, she will break thirty pots a month.

Meaning

This proverb warns against being penny-wise and pound-foolish. It suggests that by trying to save money or gain a small advantage initially (low cost), one might end up with significant long-term expenses or recurring losses due to the lack of quality or competence. It is used when someone chooses a cheap but ineffective solution that ultimately costs more.

Related Phrases

If the eye is blind, is the stomach blind too?

This proverb is used to point out that even if one cannot see (either literally or metaphorically through lack of knowledge/resources), their basic needs and appetites remain the same. It is often used in contexts where someone suggests that a person who is disadvantaged should forgo basic necessities like food.

When a man married a blind woman, on account of the smallness of the jointure, she broke all the pots in the pile.

This proverb describes a situation where someone tries to save money by choosing a cheap or inferior option, only to suffer much greater losses due to the hidden costs or incompetence of that choice. It is equivalent to the English concept of being 'penny wise and pound foolish.'

If the mistress of the house be blind, all the pots will be broken. Without supervision things will go to ruin. When the gude wife's awa', the keys are tint. (Scotch.)

This proverb highlights the importance of the primary person in charge of a task being capable and attentive. If the person responsible for managing a household (or an organization) is unable to see or manage things properly, it leads to the loss and destruction of the resources under their care. It is used to describe how a lack of supervision or competence in leadership leads to waste and damage.

When boasting went with the wind, the egg touched the ground.

This proverb is used to mock someone who makes grand, empty boasts but fails when it comes to basic reality or performance. It implies that once the pretentious talk (the wind) disappears, the person's true, humble, or ineffective status is revealed. It is often used to describe people who talk big but have nothing to show for it.

When he married a blind woman, because of the small jointure, [she broke] three kilns of pots a month.

This proverb warns against choosing a cheaper or easier option without considering the long-term consequences. In this context, the man tries to save money on the marriage, but the expenses incurred due to the woman's inability to see (like spilling expensive spices) far exceed the initial savings. It is used to describe situations where being penny-wise leads to being pound-foolish.

False economy.

If one marries a blind woman because the dowry (oli) is low, she might end up breaking all the stacked pots.

This proverb warns against being penny-wise and pound-foolish. It describes a situation where someone chooses a cheaper or easier option to save money (like paying a smaller bride price), only to suffer much greater losses or damages later due to the inherent flaws or lack of suitability of that choice. It is used when a shortcut or cheap solution leads to expensive consequences.

When a man married a blind woman because the dowry (oli) was low, she ended up breaking all the cooking pots.

This proverb is used to warn against being penny-wise and pound-foolish. It describes a situation where someone tries to save money or resources by choosing a cheaper or easier option, only to suffer much greater losses or damages due to the inherent flaws or incompetence of that choice.

If the lady of the house is blind, it is a loss for the pots in the house.

This proverb highlights that if the person in charge is incompetent, negligent, or lacks vision, it leads to the destruction or wastage of resources. It is used to describe how the lack of proper management or oversight results in avoidable losses within a family, organization, or project.

Our boy has all thirty-two virtues, except that two are missing.

This is a sarcastic expression used to describe someone who seems perfect but lacks the two most fundamental traits: 'buddhi' (intellect/common sense) and 'jnanam' (wisdom/knowledge). It is often used to mock someone who acts foolishly despite having other good qualities or a good background.

Even if poor in food, is one poor in caste/status?

This proverb is used to express that even if someone lacks financial resources or basic necessities like food, they still maintain their self-respect, dignity, or social standing. It highlights the idea that poverty does not equate to a loss of character or heritage.