సగం పెట్టి మేనత్త అన్నట్లు.

sagam petti menatta annatlu.

Translation

Like giving only half and calling oneself a paternal aunt.

Meaning

This proverb describes someone who does a half-hearted or incomplete favor but demands the full respect or status associated with a close relative or a great benefactor. It is used to mock people who are stingy or perform duties poorly yet expect high praise and recognition for their supposed 'generosity'.

Related Phrases

Father's younger brother's wife is not a 'Pinatalli', and maternal uncle's wife is not a 'Menatta'.

This proverb is used to highlight that biological relationships and marital relationships carry different emotional weights or social expectations. It suggests that someone who enters the family through marriage might not always share the same innate affection or bond as a blood relative, or it is used to specifically define traditional kinship roles in Telugu culture where specific terms are reserved for biological relations.

When requested, 'Mother-in-law, mother-in-law, please serve some food,' she replied, 'I will apply lime (chunam) instead.'

This proverb describes a situation where a person expects help or kindness but receives something harmful or insulting in return. It highlights the behavior of mean-spirited or heartless people who mock others' genuine needs or suffering instead of showing empathy.

Like crying and getting a death anniversary performed.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone performs a task or fulfills an obligation with great reluctance, lack of interest, or while complaining, rather than doing it willingly or happily. It implies that the person is doing something just for the sake of finishing it, often ruining the spirit of the activity.

Like breaking into the house of the person who fed you.

This expression describes extreme ingratitude or betrayal. It refers to a person who harms their benefactor or someone who has helped them in their time of need. It is used to condemn the act of biting the hand that feeds you.

That is a cloth into which Punjam has been put, that is the word into which a bribe has been put. A Punjam is a skein of 60 threads ; the word is here used to signify the proper quantity of thread required for good cloth. The only way of obtaining a good recommendation is to purchase it with a bribe.

This proverb highlights that just as the quality of a cloth depends on the thread count (punjam), the outcome of a conversation or legal matter can be manipulated by bribery. It suggests that truth or promises can be twisted if someone is paid off, implying that a person's word might only hold value because of a bribe rather than integrity.

The husband's authority and a stubborn paternal aunt.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is doubly burdened or oppressed by two difficult authorities. It typically refers to a woman's hardship when she has to deal with a dominating husband on one side and a relentless, stubborn mother-in-law (paternal aunt) on the other, leaving her with no peace or freedom.

A bribe buys a word, and a skein of yarn makes a cloth.

This proverb highlights the efficacy of incentives. Just as a certain amount of yarn is required to weave a fabric, a bribe or a small favor is often used to get someone to speak in one's favor or to get a task done. It is used to describe how things are influenced by external motivations or materials.

Like placing a small oil lamp before a flaming torch.

This expression is used to describe a situation where something small, insignificant, or inferior is compared to or placed in front of something vastly superior and brilliant. It highlights how the smaller object's light is completely overshadowed and made redundant by the larger one's brilliance.

When asked why he had no mustache, he said he resembles his paternal aunt; when asked why he had a beard, he said he resembles his maternal uncle.

This proverb is used to describe a person who gives silly, illogical, or contradictory excuses to cover up their flaws or inconsistencies. It points out the absurdity of someone who tries to justify everything with convenient but nonsensical reasoning.

Like applying lime to someone who asked for food

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone asks for help or a basic necessity, but instead of being helped, they are treated cruelly or given something harmful. It highlights the act of adding insult to injury or responding to a genuine plea with a malicious action.