ఒళ్ళు వంగనివాడు దొంగలతో కలిసినాడట.

This proverb means that no matter how clever or successful someone is at hiding their wrongdoings or crimes for a long time, justice will eventually prevail and they will be caught. It is used to warn people that luck eventually runs out for those who consistently do wrong.

This expression is used to describe how people with similar bad habits, questionable characters, or dishonest intentions tend to support and protect each other. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'Birds of a feather flock together' or 'Honor among thieves', often used in a negative context to highlight collusion between wrongdoers.

This expression is used to describe a situation where corrupt or wicked people collaborate to share spoils or ill-gotten gains. It highlights a conspiracy where individuals with no integrity cooperate solely for mutual benefit at the expense of others.

This proverb is used to describe a lazy person who makes up trivial or absurd excuses to avoid doing work. It highlights how people shift blame to insignificant things instead of admitting their own lack of effort.

Idle folks lack no excuses.

This proverb emphasizes the importance of fulfilling one's responsibilities. Just as a lazy person who consumes resources without contributing is a burden to their family, a person who evades taxes is considered a criminal against the government or society. It is used to highlight that negligence of duty is a form of dishonesty.

* Dat is het ambacht van dikken Michiel: drinken, eten, en wandelen.

This expression is used when two or more dishonest people or entities collaborate to share ill-gotten gains or exploit a situation for their own benefit. It describes a situation where 'honor among thieves' exists solely to ensure they can divide the loot without conflict, often at the expense of others.

This expression emphasizes the importance of hard work and humility. It means that success or prosperity in a place will not come to those who are lazy or unwilling to perform physical labor (bend their backs). It is used to advise someone that they must work hard to settle or thrive in a new environment.

This proverb implies that people of the same kind, especially those with malicious or secretive habits, can easily recognize each other's traits or motives. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'It takes one to know one' or 'Birds of a feather flock together.'

This proverb is used to describe a lazy person who makes silly or improbable excuses to avoid work. It mockingly refers to someone who blames minor, irrelevant things for their inability or unwillingness to perform physical labor.

This proverb highlights personal and civic responsibilities. It suggests that a family member who doesn't contribute labor is a burden to the household, just as a citizen who evades taxes is a traitor to the state (divanam). It is used to emphasize that laziness and tax evasion are both forms of dishonesty.