పిల్లి బ్రాహ్మణుడు, పీట ముత్తైదువ

pilli brahmanudu, pita muttaiduva

Translation

The cat is a Brahmin, and the low wooden stool is a married woman.

Meaning

This expression is used to mock someone who puts on a false show of extreme piety, innocence, or virtue. It describes a hypocrite who pretends to be saintly while harboring deceitful intentions or having a questionable character.

Related Phrases

As if a poor person is accused of killing a Brahmin.

This proverb describes a situation where an unfortunate person is unfairly burdened with an enormous problem or a heavy accusation that they have no capacity to handle or resolve. In traditional contexts, 'Brahmahatya' (killing a Brahmin) was considered the ultimate sin with the heaviest consequences; a poor person facing such a charge would be completely helpless.

A forced priestly meal

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is coerced or pressured into doing something against their will or interest. It originates from the idea of forcing a priest to perform a ritual or partake in a ceremonial meal when they are unwilling or unprepared, implying that the act lacks genuine intent or joy.

Kill a cat, kill a Brahman. Doing harm to a cat is considered as sinful as injuring a Brahman.

This is a traditional Telugu saying used to emphasize the gravity of hurting or killing a cat, suggesting it is equivalent to the sin of killing a Brahmin (Brahmahatya Patakam). It is often used to discourage animal cruelty or to mock superstitious beliefs regarding the consequences of accidentally harming a cat.

If the patient lives, the doctor survives; if the patient dies, the priest survives.

This proverb is a satirical take on professions that profit regardless of the outcome. It suggests that if a sick person recovers, the doctor earns money and fame, but if the person dies, the priest earns fees for performing the funeral rites. It is used to describe situations where certain parties benefit from both success and failure.

Turning Thimmi into Bammi and Bammi into Thimmi.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely manipulative or clever enough to distort the truth completely. It refers to the act of misrepresenting facts so convincingly that one thing is mistaken for another, often used in the context of deceptive arguments or 'turning the tables' through verbal trickery.

Brahma wrote the fate, Lakshmana drew the line.

This expression is used to describe a situation where one's destiny is fixed by a higher power (Brahma) and strict boundaries or rules are set by an authority figure (Lakshmana). It implies that a person is bound by both their predetermined fate and the rigid constraints of their current circumstances, leaving no room for change or escape.

Neither a widow nor a married woman with a living husband.

This expression refers to a person or a situation that is in a state of limbo or ambiguity, not belonging to one clear category or another. It is used to describe something that is neither here nor there, often implying a lack of clear identity, status, or decision.

When the cat is away, the mice have a festival.

The phrase you provided seems to be a combination of different metaphors or a specific regional variation, but it primarily refers to the concept of 'When the cat's away, the mice will play.' It signifies that in the absence of a strict authority figure or a supervisor, subordinates or those who are usually fearful will act freely, recklessly, or celebrate without restraint.

A cat [is as sacred as ] a Brahman, and the stool ( used for prayers, &c. ) is as sacred as his wife.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where completely unqualified or deceptive people are pretending to be virtuous or play roles they are naturally unfit for. It highlights hypocrisy or a ridiculous mismatch of character, often used when villains act like saints.

The weapon of Brahma

Refers to a final, most powerful, and infallible solution to a problem. It is used to describe an ultimate tactic or argument that is guaranteed to succeed when all other options have failed.