సేరుకాయ నీటాయె, ఉల్లెంగడ్డ మోటాయె.
serukaya nitaye, ullengadda motaye.
The seru gourd became watery, and the onion became hard.
This proverb describes a situation where things have turned out exactly the opposite of how they should be or used to be, often implying a loss of quality or a change for the worse. It is used to comment on a scenario where expectations are subverted and the resulting state is unsatisfactory or useless.
Related Phrases
సేరుకు సవాసేరు
seruku savaseru
A quarter more for every seer.
This expression is used to describe a situation where one person encounters someone even more capable, clever, or dominant than themselves. It is equivalent to the English idiom 'to meet one's match' or 'diamond cuts diamond.' It highlights that there is always someone superior to any given individual.
నవ్విన నాపచేనే పండుతుంది
navvina napachene pandutundi
The very field that was mocked will yield a harvest.
This proverb is used to encourage those who are being ridiculed for their initial failures or humble beginnings. It suggests that with persistence, the same person or project that others laughed at will eventually succeed and prosper. It is a reminder that mockery is temporary, but success is the ultimate answer.
కుక్కను పెంచితే గండాయె, కూటి కుండలకెల్లా చేటాయె
kukkanu penchite gandaye, kuti kundalakella chetaye
If you rear up a dog, when it becomes big it will empty all your dishes.
This proverb describes a situation where someone or something brought in for protection or help ends up causing more damage and trouble than the benefit they provide. It is used when a solution backfires or when a person one nurtures turns out to be a liability.
Put a snake into your bosom and when it is warm it will sting you.
కుక్కను పెంచితే గండాయె, కూటికుండకు చేటాయె
kukkanu penchite gandaye, kutikundaku chetaye
Raising a dog became a danger and a loss to the food pot.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone or something you supported or nurtured turns out to be a source of trouble or waste. It implies that the investment not only failed to provide protection but also resulted in the depletion of one's own resources.
మాట తప్పదాయె
mata tappadaye
The word cannot be broken
This expression is used to describe a person who is exceptionally firm and committed to their promises. It characterizes someone who values their word above all else and will never go back on a commitment or oath they have made.
కుక్కను పెంచితే గండాయె, కూటికుండెలకెల్లా చేటాయె
kukkanu penchite gandaye, kutikundelakella chetaye
Raising a dog became a danger; it ruined all the food pots.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone or something intended for protection or assistance ends up causing more harm than good. It refers to a person who, instead of helping, becomes a burden or causes loss to those who support them.
ఉప్పుమూటను నీటిలో ముంచినట్లు
uppumutanu nitilo munchinatlu
Like dipping a bundle of salt in water.
This expression is used to describe a situation where something disappears or dissolves completely and rapidly without leaving a trace. It typically refers to the quick loss of wealth, resources, or the sudden failure of a plan.
అయితే అతడి ఆలి, కాకపోతే దాసురాలు
ayite atadi ali, kakapote dasuralu
"If we succeed, she shall be his wife; if not, she shall be a recluse." Said by the parents of a girl, who had set their hearts upon getting her married to a certain man. Either Cæsar or nobody. (Latin.)
This expression describes a situation where an outcome results in one of two extremes—either total success or complete subservience/failure. It is used to describe a high-stakes scenario or a person who finds themselves in a position where they must either be the master of a situation or its humble servant, with no middle ground.
కథలెల్లా వెతలాయె, కావురాలు రెండాయె
kathalella vetalaye, kavuralu rendaye
All stories turned into sorrows, and the households became two.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where attempts to resolve a conflict or manage a complex situation backfire, leading to more grief and causing a permanent split or division (often referring to a family separation). It signifies that instead of a happy ending, the complications led to sorrow and fragmentation.
అసలు పిసలాయె, గొంగడి లాభమాయె
asalu pisalaye, gongadi labhamaye
The capital was lost, but the blanket was the profit.
This proverb describes a situation where a person loses their initial investment or main assets in a venture, only to end up with a trivial or insignificant gain. It is used to mock a failed business or effort where the losses far outweigh the minor incidental benefits remaining.