ఓనమాలే బుక్కులు ఒకటిరెండే లెక్కలు.

onamale bukkulu okatirende lekkalu.

Translation

Alphabet is the book, one and two are the arithmetic.

Meaning

This expression describes someone who is a complete novice or has only a very basic, elementary level of knowledge in a particular subject. It is used to indicate that a person is still at the beginning stages of learning.

Related Phrases

Two by two, slowly two by two.

This expression is used to describe a slow, steady, or rhythmic pace of work or movement. It is often used when someone is progressing through a task gradually but consistently, or when walking at a leisurely, synchronized pace.

Pit alphabets (Basic lessons in the sand)

This expression refers to the very basics or fundamentals of any subject. Historically, it refers to the traditional method where children practiced writing their first alphabets (O-Na-Ma-Lu) in a bed of sand or a shallow pit. It is used to describe someone who is at the absolute beginning stage of learning something.

One blow, two pieces

This expression is used to describe a situation where a single action results in a quick, decisive resolution or achieves two goals at once. It is similar to the English idiom 'killing two birds with one stone' or to indicate a clean, final break in a matter.

My husband is a dummy; it's the same whether he is there or not.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is completely useless or ineffective. It implies that their presence provides no benefit, and their absence makes no difference, much like a decorative figure or a person with no initiative.

The breeding bull has no tether.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is uncontrolled, reckless, or behaves without any restraint. Just as a breeding bull is allowed to roam freely without being tied up, it refers to someone who does as they please without following rules or social norms.

The mother-in-law's desire is fulfilled, and the son-in-law's illusion is shattered.

This proverb is used when the reality of a situation or a person is finally revealed, often leading to disappointment. It describes a scenario where one person's true nature is exposed after they have achieved their goal, causing the other person to lose their false positive impressions or high expectations.

One blow and two pieces.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a single action or decision leads to a quick, decisive, and final result. It is similar to the English idiom 'To kill two birds with one stone', but emphasizes the swiftness and finality of the action, often used when settling a dispute or completing a task instantly.

To give a direct answer and settle a matter one way or the other.

Counting crows and accounting of village clerks

This expression refers to unreliable, fictitious, or manipulated statistics and records. It compares fraudulent bookkeeping or arbitrary reporting to trying to count a flying flock of crows, which is impossible to verify and often based on guesswork or deception.

Elli Šetti's account is a single account. Receipts and disbursements, profits and loss, all muddled up together.

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely stubborn or inflexible in their reasoning. It refers to someone who makes an initial calculation or decision and refuses to change it, even when shown to be wrong or when circumstances change. It highlights a lack of logic or a 'one-track' mind.

For one who washes thirty-three buffaloes, are three small Salagrama stones a big deal?

This proverb is used to describe a person who handles massive, difficult tasks and therefore finds smaller, trivial tasks insignificant or easy to manage. It implies that once someone has mastered a great burden or volume of work, minor additions do not bother them.