పాలు పిండని పశువు మేతకు పెద్ద

palu pindani pashuvu metaku pedda

Translation

The cow that gives no milk is the first one to eat the fodder.

Meaning

This proverb describes a person who is lazy or unproductive when it comes to work, yet is the most demanding and ahead of everyone else when it comes to benefits, food, or rewards. It is used to criticize someone who contributes nothing but consumes a lot.

Related Phrases

The cow that yields no milk creates the most clatter with the buckets.

This proverb is used to describe people who possess no actual skill, talent, or substance but make a lot of noise or show off to grab attention. It is similar to the English proverb 'Empty vessels make the most noise.' It highlights that those who contribute the least often boast the most.

Only when one dies, does the truth of the funeral song come out.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where the true nature, secrets, or total accomplishments of a person or a situation are only fully revealed or understood at the very end or after it is finished. It implies that certain truths remain hidden until the final conclusion.

Like lice infesting a bald head.

Used to describe a situation that is logically impossible, highly improbable, or a baseless allegation. Just as lice cannot live on a head without hair, this expression mocks claims or events that lack any foundation or sense.

Will pouring milk and curd into a completely barren woman result in breast milk?

This proverb is used to illustrate that no matter how many resources or efforts you invest in someone who lacks the fundamental capability or nature to do a task, they will never yield the desired result. It highlights the futility of trying to force an outcome from a person or situation that is inherently incapable of producing it.

Like grinding mountains into powder

This expression is used to describe a person who possesses extraordinary strength, capability, or determination. It characterizes someone who can achieve seemingly impossible tasks or overcome massive obstacles with great ease or force.

Will they feed the bull for its muscles?

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is working hard or performing a duty, but the benefits or rewards are not meant for them personally. It implies that just as a bull is fed to work in the fields and not for its own growth or meat, some efforts are purely functional and don't result in personal gain for the individual doing the work.

If the eyes are large, will the pupils also be large?

This proverb is used to explain that greatness or the size of a whole does not necessarily mean its core parts or subordinates will be equally large. It highlights that everything has its own natural limit and scale, and one should not expect the impossible or a direct proportionality in all matters.

Will one throw away the milk just because the cow eats filth?

This expression is used to suggest that one should not discard something valuable or ignore the good qualities of a person or a situation just because of a minor flaw or a single unpleasant aspect. In essence, it highlights the importance of focusing on the benefits rather than getting fixated on irrelevant negatives.

Spilled milk belongs to the stove

This proverb is used to emphasize that things lost through negligence or over-excitement are useless. Just as milk that boils over and spills onto the stove cannot be recovered or consumed, opportunities or resources lost due to lack of attention are a total waste.

Like lice infestation on a bald head

This expression is used to describe a situation that is impossible, illogical, or a blatant lie. Just as lice cannot live on a bald head because there is no hair to cling to, the phrase refers to claims or events that lack any basis in reality or common sense.