సంతకు దొంగనైతే చీళ్లు ఎక్కడ అమ్ముకోను?

santaku donganaite chillu ekkada ammukonu?

Translation

If I were a smuggler in the fair, where could I sell my thread ?

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone harms or cheats the very place or people they rely on for their livelihood or survival. It highlights the foolishness of destroying one's own source of income or support system.

Related Phrases

If thieves come to the weekly market, where should I sell my finger millets?

This expression is used to describe a situation where the very place or authority meant for protection or business has become corrupt or unsafe. It highlights the helplessness of a common person when the systems they rely on are compromised.

No matter where it grazes, it is enough if it gives milk in our house.

This proverb is used to express that it doesn't matter what someone does or where they go, as long as they ultimately bring the benefits or results back home. It is often used in a business or familial context to signify that the final outcome or loyalty matters more than the process or location.

Will the lady who cannot get up into the sling get up into heaven ?

This proverb is used to mock someone who makes grand claims or aspires for monumental tasks when they are incapable of performing even the simplest of daily chores. It highlights the gap between one's actual abilities and their lofty ambitions.

Utti is a net work sling hung up in Hindu houses at a height of seven or eight feet, to keep earthen pots containing food in. He that can't ride a gentle horse, must not attempt to back a mad colt.

A thief is a companion to another thief

This expression is used to describe how people with similar bad habits, questionable characters, or dishonest intentions tend to support and protect each other. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'Birds of a feather flock together' or 'Honor among thieves', often used in a negative context to highlight collusion between wrongdoers.

Can the waste land be taken out of the field ? You must take the fat with the lean.

This expression suggests that problems or people originating from within a specific group, family, or environment will ultimately remain a burden or a part of that same entity. It is often used to imply that one cannot easily escape or disown domestic issues or the inherent nature of something born within.

Where you are doubtful, there I am dubious. A joke among Pandits when one is not able to help another through difficult passages.

This expression is used to indicate that both parties are equally confused or uncertain about a situation. It is often used humorously or to show solidarity in ignorance, implying 'I am just as clueless as you are' or 'We are in the same boat regarding this doubt.'

If a thief goes to the village market, where can one sell sarees?

This proverb describes a situation where it is impossible to conduct business or a specific activity because the very environment is unsafe or the person in charge is dishonest. It is used when corruption or danger is so prevalent at the source that normal operations cannot continue.

Can a dog ever retain ghi? He always throws it up.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person of low character or merit cannot handle respect, wealth, or a high position. Just as ghee is considered a rich, sacred food that a dog's stomach supposedly cannot process, certain people cannot gracefully accept or sustain good fortune or honorable treatment without behaving inappropriately.

A thief is known by a thief. A thief knows a thief, as a wolf knows a wolf.

This proverb implies that people of the same kind, especially those with malicious or secretive habits, can easily recognize each other's traits or motives. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'It takes one to know one' or 'Birds of a feather flock together.'

When he mocked you where were you maimed ? Words break no bones.

This expression is used to tell someone not to take petty insults or mockery to heart. It implies that verbal taunting doesn't cause physical damage or lessen one's value, suggesting that one should ignore such trivial behavior instead of getting offended.