ఒళ్ళు వాచిన రెడ్డి వడ్లు ఏమి ధర అని అడిగితే, అవి లేకనే నా ఒళ్ళంతా వాచినది అన్నాడట.
ollu vachina reddi vadlu emi dhara ani adigite, avi lekane na ollanta vachinadi annadata.
" Well, swollen-bodied Reddi! how do you sell your paddy ?" " The want of it alone has made my whole body swell," he replied. The Hindus believe that longing for any desired object causes the legs and face to swell.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is suffering from extreme poverty or starvation. In the story, the swelling is due to malnutrition (dropsy), but the onlooker mistakenly thinks the man is wealthy and asking about market rates. It highlights a tragic irony where a person's visible distress is misinterpreted as a sign of prosperity or involvement in trade.
Related Phrases
విత్తనాలకు పోయిన రెడ్డి పూదెలెత్తగా వచ్చినాడు
vittanalaku poyina reddi pudelettaga vachchinadu
The farmer who went for seed, returned after the harvest.
This expression refers to someone who takes an excessively long time to complete a simple task, returning only when the work is already finished or when the timing is no longer relevant. It is used to mock extreme procrastination or laziness.
Applied to a slow coach.
ఎనుము యీనినది రెడ్డి అంటే, నీకేమి కద్దే బొడ్డీ అన్నాడట.
enumu yininadi reddi ante, nikemi kadde boddi annadata.
When she said "O Reddi! your buffalo has calved," he replied "O Boddi! what's that to you?" The woman wanted some milk.
This proverb is used to tell people to mind their own business or to highlight that a particular piece of news or event has no relevance or benefit to the person reacting to it. It mocks those who get unnecessarily excited or involved in matters that do not concern them.
ఊరి ముందరికి వచ్చి నా పెళ్లాం పిల్లలు ఎట్లా ఉన్నారని అడిగినాడట
uri mundariki vachchi na pellam pillalu etla unnarani adiginadata
He came to the outskirts of the village and asked " How are my wife and children ?" A few yards more would have enabled the man to judge for himself. Said of impatience.
This expression is used to describe a person who lacks patience or common sense. It refers to someone who is so close to their destination or a source of information that they could easily find out the truth themselves, yet they choose to ask others for the answer prematurely. It highlights unnecessary anxiety or a foolish shortcut.
గోరు వాచిన వేలంత, వేలు వాచిన కాలంత, కాలు వాచిన రోలంత, రోలు వాచిన ఎంత?
goru vachina velanta, velu vachina kalanta, kalu vachina rolanta, rolu vachina enta?
If a nail swells, it becomes the size of a finger; if a finger swells, it becomes the size of a leg; if a leg swells, it becomes the size of a mortar; if the mortar swells, how big would it be?
This is a rhythmic riddle or a satirical saying used to describe the logic of hyperbole or disproportionate growth. It highlights how problems can escalate in scale, or it is used as a humorous 'endless' question to stump someone, as a stone mortar (rolu) cannot actually swell.
వంట అంతా అయినది గాని, వడ్లు ఒక పొలుపు ఎండవలసి ఉన్నది.
vanta anta ayinadi gani, vadlu oka polupu endavalasi unnadi.
The dinner is quite ready, the paddy merely requires another drying.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone claims to be finished with a large task, yet a fundamental, time-consuming preliminary step is still incomplete. It highlights a comical or ironic lack of logic, where the final result is impossible because the starting materials aren't even ready yet.
Paddy is an Anglo Indian term for rice in the husk. A hasty and ridiculous answer.
ఇల్లు వెళ్లిపోరా నంబీ అంటే, నా మాన్యము ఎక్కడ అని అడిగినాడట
illu vellipora nambi ante, na manyamu ekkada ani adiginadata
When a Nambi was told to get out of the house, he asked for his glebe-land.
This proverb describes an audacious or thick-skinned person who, when being evicted or dismissed for wrongdoing, still demands benefits or compensation. It is used to mock someone who doesn't understand their lack of welcome and continues to act entitled in a situation where they are being rejected.
Nambi is a priest in a Vishnu temple. Effrontery.
వడ్లు వాచిన వీరారెడ్డీ వడ్ల ధర ఎంతంటే, అవి ఉంటే ఇవి ఎందుకు వస్తాయి అన్నాడట
vadlu vachina virareddi vadla dhara entante, avi unte ivi enduku vastayi annadata
When asked the price of rice (paddy), Veera Reddy, who was suffering from swollen testicles, replied: 'If I didn't have these, why would I be worrying about those?'
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person is so overwhelmed by a severe personal problem or physical pain that they lose interest in worldly matters, business, or common logic. It highlights that one's immediate suffering takes precedence over everything else, sometimes leading to irritable or irrelevant responses to unrelated questions.
ముందు వచ్చింది ముత్తైదువ, వెనుక వచ్చింది వెధవ
mundu vachchindi muttaiduva, venuka vachchindi vedhava
The first one was a wife, the last one was a widow. i. e. the first died while her husband was alive, the last was degraded to the position of a widow. Old things are thought much of, new ones are not valued.
This expression is used to highlight the importance of being early or punctual. It implies that the first person to arrive or the first effort made receives respect and good fortune, while being late or secondary leads to misfortune or a lack of value. It is often used in situations where priority determines quality or status.
కోడలు వచ్చిన వేళ, కోడెలు వచ్చిన వేళ
kodalu vachchina vela, kodelu vachchina vela
The time the daughter-in-law arrived, the time the young bulls arrived.
This proverb is used to comment on coincidences, specifically when a new arrival in a family (like a daughter-in-law) is blamed or credited for significant events (like the birth of livestock or changes in fortune) that happen shortly after. It highlights how people often link luck or misfortune to a person's entry into the household.
బిడ్డ వచ్చిన వేళ, గొడ్డు వచ్చిన వేళ.
bidda vachchina vela, goddu vachchina vela.
The time when a child arrives, and the time when cattle arrive.
This proverb highlights that certain arrival events, such as the birth of a child or the purchase/arrival of livestock, are seen as significant markers of fate. It is used to describe how the timing of these events is often associated with the subsequent prosperity or misfortunes that befall a family, suggesting that the 'auspiciousness' of their arrival time influences the household's future.