పొట్టివానికి పుట్టెడు బుద్ధులు
pottivaniki puttedu buddhulu
A short person has a basketful of brains.
This proverb is used to suggest that what a person lacks in physical stature or height, they often make up for with extreme cleverness, wit, or cunningness. It implies that short people are exceptionally sharp-minded.
Related Phrases
పురాణం విన్నప్పుడు పుట్టెడు బుద్దులు, అవతలపోతే అడవి బుద్దులు
puranam vinnappudu puttedu buddulu, avatalapote adavi buddulu
A basketful of wisdom while listening to the Puranas, but wild/uncivilized behavior once stepped away.
This proverb describes a person's hypocrisy or fickle nature. It refers to someone who appears very pious and moral while listening to religious discourses or moral advice, but immediately reverts to their old, bad habits once they leave the environment. It is used to criticize those who do not practice what they hear or preach.
పొట్టకు పుట్టెడు తిని అట్లకు ఆదివారము
pottaku puttedu tini atlaku adivaramu
Having eaten a bushel of food, [he begs] for cakes as it's Sunday.
This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely greedy or never satisfied. It refers to someone who eats a full, hearty meal yet still demands special delicacies like 'atlu' (pancakes) under the pretext of a holiday or tradition. It highlights insatiable hunger or unreasonable demands for more even after being well-provided for.
Sunday is a fast day among some sects. Great greediness.
పొట్టి వాడికి పుట్టెడు బుద్ధులు
potti vadiki puttedu buddhulu
A short man has a Putti of wisdom.
This is a popular Telugu saying used to imply that short-statured people are exceptionally clever, cunning, or resourceful. The term 'Puttadu' refers to a large traditional measuring unit, suggesting that their intelligence is disproportionately large compared to their height.
పుణ్యం పుట్టెడు, పురుగులు తట్టెడు
punyam puttedu, purugulu tattedu
A basketful of merit, but a basketful of worms.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone performs a deed with the intention of gaining religious merit (punyam), but the act inadvertently causes harm or results in a mess. It is often applied when an attempt to do good backfires or when a seemingly pious person's actions are actually riddled with flaws.
పొట్టివాడికి పుట్టెడు బుద్ధులు
pottivadiki puttedu buddhulu
A short person has a basketful of brains/wisdom.
This is a popular Telugu saying used to suggest that what a person lacks in physical stature, they make up for with extreme cleverness, wit, or cunning. It is often used playfully or as a cautionary remark about not underestimating someone based on their small height.
చేటు కాలానికి చెడ్డ బుద్దులు
chetu kalaniki chedda buddulu
Bad thoughts come during bad times.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person starts making poor decisions or loses their sense of judgment when they are facing a period of misfortune or ruin. It suggests that one's intellect or character often declines when their downfall is near.
చెడుకాలానికి చెడు బుద్దులు
chedukalaniki chedu buddulu
Bad thoughts/ideas for bad times
This expression is used to describe a situation where a person starts making poor decisions or thinking negatively when they are going through a bad phase or facing a downfall. It suggests that one's intellect often fails or misleads them when their fortune is at its lowest.
పుట్టిన వానికి తమ్ముడు, పుట్టే వానికి అన్న
puttina vaniki tammudu, putte vaniki anna
The younger brother of him who is born, the elder brother of him who is about to be born. Said jokingly of a dwarf.
This proverb describes someone who is in a middle position or a mediator. It refers to a person who has experienced both sides of a situation, making them versatile or uniquely positioned between two generations or two different states of being.
పుణ్యము పుట్టెడు, పురుగులు తట్టెడు
punyamu puttedu, purugulu tattedu
A bushelful of good works, and a dishful of worms. A great show of piety, but the prospect of future punishment for evil deeds.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone performs a supposedly good deed or religious act, but the unintended negative consequences, sins, or flaws associated with it far outweigh the benefits. It highlights hypocrisy or the futility of an action that brings more harm than good.
చచ్చేవాడికి తమ్ముడు, పుట్టేవాడికి అన్న
chachchevadiki tammudu, puttevadiki anna
Younger brother to the one dying, elder brother to the one being born
This expression describes a person who is in a middle-aged or transitional stage of life. It is often used to refer to someone who is neither too young nor too old, bridging the gap between generations, or someone who is an experienced adult who has seen both the end of one era and the start of another.