పంది మెచ్చేది బురద - పడతి మెచ్చేది పన్నీరు

pandi mechchedi burada - padati mechchedi panniru

Translation

The pig likes mud - the lady likes rose-water

Meaning

This proverb highlights how different individuals have different tastes and standards based on their nature or upbringing. It is used to explain that what is delightful to one person might be repulsive or trivial to another, emphasizing that everyone has their own unique preferences.

Related Phrases

What the world admires is great; what a miser admires is a pile of trash.

This proverb highlights that societal recognition comes from generosity and noble actions. While the general public values greatness and virtue, a miserly person only values hoarding wealth or useless things (heaps), which have no real social value. It is used to contrast the difference between true greatness and selfish accumulation.

Will the owner rejoice upon seeing a ruined crop?

This proverb is used to convey that no one can be happy or appreciative when something they value or have worked hard for is destroyed or failing. It emphasizes that a person's reaction is naturally tied to the success or failure of their endeavors, and expecting a positive reaction to a negative outcome is unrealistic.

A pig likes mud; will it ever like rose water?

This proverb is used to describe people with low tastes or vulgar habits who cannot appreciate refined, noble, or high-quality things. It suggests that one's inherent nature dictates their preferences, and a person accustomed to 'dirt' or negativity will never understand the value of something 'pure' or superior.

What the king likes is the law, and who the husband likes is Rambha.

This proverb highlights the subjectivity of beauty and authority. It means that power determines what is right, and personal affection determines what is beautiful. Just as a king's word is final regardless of logic, a person's preference defines their standard of beauty or excellence, regardless of objective reality.

That's the word, which pleases the king; she is Rambhâ, who is loved by her husband.

This proverb highlights the subjectivity of taste and authority. It means that power and personal affection define value. If a king approves of something, it becomes the rule or truth; similarly, if a man loves his wife, she is as beautiful as a celestial nymph (Rambha) to him, regardless of others' opinions.

The vat likes the salt-dough

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone or something is only satisfied by or suited for something of poor quality or specific low-tier standards. It implies that a person's tastes or preferences are limited to what they are accustomed to, often used in a slightly mocking way to suggest that someone with low standards will be happy with mediocre things.

The person with skin sores (or a weak constitution) craves pickles.

This proverb describes a situation where someone likes or chooses things that are actually harmful to their condition. It is used to mock people who have poor taste or those who stubbornly pursue things that worsen their existing problems.

Will the husband of a beautiful/tender woman appreciate an old woman?

This proverb is used to illustrate that a person who is accustomed to high quality, excellence, or beauty will never be satisfied with something of inferior quality or something that lacks those attributes. It highlights how standards and tastes are shaped by one's primary experiences.

A snub-nosed woman's song being appreciated by a man with no nose.

This proverb describes a situation where a person with low skills or defects is praised by someone who is equally unqualified or flawed. It is used to mock mutual admiration between incompetent people or to point out that the praise being given is meaningless because the critic has no standards or taste.

Eat to please yourself, behave to please others

This proverb suggests that personal choices like food should be according to one's own taste, but social behavior and conduct should be respectable and acceptable to society. It emphasizes the balance between personal freedom and social responsibility.