పొగచుట్టకు సతిమోవికి ఎంగిలి లేదంటారు

This expression refers to someone who is extremely stingy or miserly. It describes a person who does not even eat properly (to avoid spending) nor do they ever offer a single morsel of food to others. It is used to criticize someone's lack of charity and their extreme parsimony.

This proverb highlights two things: first, that for someone who is hungry or in certain casual contexts, the ritual impurity of saliva-touched food is often ignored. Second, and more primarily, it serves as a social commentary that a person under the influence of alcohol loses their sense of social dignity and moral inhibition.

This proverb is used to describe things or people who lack certain inherent qualities or standards. Just as a coward (panja) can never truly possess courage, a toddy pot (used in drinking dens) is considered beyond the rules of formal cleanliness or 'engili' because of its nature and environment. It implies that some things are fundamentally inconsistent with certain virtues or social norms.

This proverb implies that when a person is in dire need or desperate straits, they cannot afford to be picky or concern themselves with minor flaws or social taboos. Necessity overrides luxury and fastidiousness.

This expression describes a situation where despite immense hard work and physical labor, one's rewards or results remain meager and insufficient for a decent living. It is used to highlight poverty, lack of growth, or exploitation in a workplace.

This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely generous or charitable. It implies that as soon as they have something, they give it away to others without hesitation, leaving nothing 'soiled' or 'lingering' for themselves.

This proverb refers to someone who is constantly busy with work or a business where certain strict rules or taboos (like ritual purity in a kitchen) are practically impossible to follow. It is used to suggest that for those who serve the public or perform labor-intensive tasks, utility and necessity take precedence over minor formalities.

This proverb is used to highlight that certain urgent or sacred duties transcend the usual social rules of ritual purity or contamination. It implies that in extreme circumstances or during specific high-priority tasks, one should not be overly pedantic about minor rules of hygiene or traditional taboos.

This proverb is used to describe people who boast excessively or put on great displays of grandeur despite having very humble or meager means. It highlights the disparity between one's empty talk (bragging) and their actual reality or substance.

This expression is used to suggest that pursuit of knowledge, higher duties, or sacred work transcends minor ritualistic or physical impurities. In a broader sense, it implies that when one is performing a great or necessary task, small flaws or trivial rules can be overlooked for the sake of the larger good.