పుండుకు పుల్ల మొగుడు

punduku pulla mogudu

Translation

A stick is the husband to a sore

Meaning

This expression refers to a situation where a harsh or severe remedy is required for a difficult problem. Just as a stick causes sharp pain when it touches a wound, a strict or tough person is sometimes needed to manage or control a troublesome individual or situation.

Related Phrases

If the crying woman's husband returns, my husband will return too.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone waits for others to act or succeed before taking initiative themselves, or a situation where one's fate is tied to the general outcome of a group. It is often used to mock someone who lacks independent drive and simply follows the crowd's luck or progress.

A dry twig supported by a blade of grass.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone who is already weak or in a precarious position receives help from someone who is equally weak or insignificant. It highlights that the assistance provided is trivial or insufficient to make a real difference, often used in a sarcastic or self-deprecating context.

If the weeping widow's husband returns, mine will come also. Stolid indifference. Want of feeling.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone's own success or progress is entirely dependent on another person's outcome. It reflects a state of helplessness or a wait-and-see approach, implying 'if it can happen for them, it will eventually happen for me too.'

A male child is a golden twig.

This traditional expression reflects the deep-rooted cultural preference for male children in certain societies, suggesting that a son is as precious and valuable as a piece of gold. It is often used to emphasize the importance of a male heir in a family lineage.

Own husband smells like mud, neighbor's husband smells like flowers.

This proverb is used to describe the human tendency to undervalue what one already possesses while overestimating the value or quality of what others have. It is similar to the English expression 'The grass is always greener on the other side.'

For a wife with stump hands, a husband with stump knees.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where two people who are equally stubborn, incompetent, or flawed are paired together. It suggests that for every difficult or peculiar person, there is an equally matching counterpart, often implying that they deserve each other or that their flaws cancel each other out in a humorous or cynical way.

According to my fate, I got a husband with rheumy eyes.

This proverb is used to express disappointment when one's luck or karma leads to a result that is far below expectations. It describes a situation where despite waiting or hoping for something good, one ends up with something mediocre or flawed due to their own misfortune.

A husband to Nannamma, and a husband to Timmanna's mother.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely clever, cunning, or a 'know-it-all' who thinks they can outsmart anyone. It refers to a person who claims superiority over those who are already considered experts or authorities in a particular field, often used in a sarcastic tone to highlight someone's overconfidence or manipulative nature.

A stick always hits the finger that is already wounded.

This proverb describes a streak of bad luck where problems seem to target those who are already suffering. It is used when a person who is already in a difficult situation faces even more setbacks or when an existing weakness is repeatedly exposed to further damage.

A husband of two wives

This expression refers to a person caught between two conflicting parties or demands, making it impossible to satisfy both. It is often used to describe someone in a dilemma, facing constant complaints or pressure from two different sides simultaneously.