పేరు గంగానమ్మ, తాగబోతే నీళ్లు లేవు.

peru ganganamma, tagabote nillu levu.

Translation

Your name is mother Gangâ, but when I want a drink I find you have no water.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where there is a huge contrast between one's grand title or reputation and their actual reality or lack of resources. It mocks irony or hypocrisy when someone carries a prestigious name but lacks basic necessities.

Notes

Where you think there are flitches of bacon there are not even hooks to hang them on. (Spanish.)

Related Phrases

Not a morsel to eat, but Aṭakali for his head.

This proverb describes a situation where a person lacks the basic necessities for survival (like drinking water) but spends resources or attention on superficial or unnecessary luxuries (like using gruel as a hair conditioner). It is used to mock misplaced priorities or someone who puts on appearances despite being in extreme poverty.

Aṭakali is an expensive preparation used for cleansing the head.

When trying to swim, there isn't even enough water to drink.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone attempts a grand or ambitious task but lacks the most basic resources even for survival. It highlights extreme scarcity or being ill-prepared for a large undertaking.

There is no water to drink for thirst, but starch is applied to the hair.

This proverb describes a situation where a person lacks basic necessities for survival (like drinking water) but indulges in superficial or luxurious displays (like styling hair with starch). It is used to mock someone who maintains an outward show of status while suffering in poverty or lacking essentials.

If you look at it, it's a silver bowl; if you try to drink from it, it's an empty bowl.

This expression describes something that looks grand, expensive, or promising on the outside but is actually empty, useless, or disappointing upon closer inspection or when put to use. It is used to mock pretentiousness or things that lack substance despite their attractive appearance.

For the one with no recourse, Goddess Gangamma is the only refuge.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone has absolutely no other options or alternatives left, forcing them to rely on a single, often final, source of hope or support. It is similar to the English proverb 'Beggars can't be choosers' or 'A drowning man catches at a straw'.

No eyes on the forehead, no teeth in the mouth.

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely old or in a state of physical decline. It can also sarcastically refer to someone who is acting helpless or lacks basic common sense and capability.

The name is Gangabhavani, but there isn't a drop of water to drink.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where there is a huge contrast between a person's grand name or reputation and their actual humble or poor reality. It highlights hypocrisy or a lack of resources despite having a fancy title.

When he went to swim, there was not enough water to drink. Disappointed hopes.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone aims for something grand or ambitious but lacks even the most basic necessities. It highlights a stark irony or extreme poverty/scarcity.

* A fonte puro pura default aqua.

Even if the leg bends, even Goddess Gangamma wouldn't hold it.

This expression is used to describe an extremely stingy or miserly person. It suggests that even in a situation where they are forced to bow or humble themselves (like bending a leg), they are so tight-fisted that even a deity associated with cleansing and mercy wouldn't be able to get anything out of them, or they wouldn't offer anything even in extreme circumstances.

No legs to the tale, no ears to the pot. Said of a story that one cannot make head or tail of. A story without a head. (Greek.)

This proverb is used to describe a story, explanation, or excuse that lacks logic, consistency, or a proper foundation. It refers to something that is nonsensical or a 'cock and bull story' where the details don't add up or have no basis in reality.