తాగబోతే దప్పికకు లేదు, తలకు అటకలి.

tagabote dappikaku ledu, talaku atakali.

Translation

There is no water to drink for thirst, but starch is applied to the hair.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where a person lacks basic necessities for survival (like drinking water) but indulges in superficial or luxurious displays (like styling hair with starch). It is used to mock someone who maintains an outward show of status while suffering in poverty or lacking essentials.

Related Phrases

No water to drink for thirst, but the boy wants spectacles.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic necessities but indulges in expensive or unnecessary luxuries. It highlights the irony of someone prioritizing vanity or status symbols over essential needs.

Not a morsel to eat, but Aṭakali for his head.

This proverb describes a situation where a person lacks the basic necessities for survival (like drinking water) but spends resources or attention on superficial or unnecessary luxuries (like using gruel as a hair conditioner). It is used to mock misplaced priorities or someone who puts on appearances despite being in extreme poverty.

Aṭakali is an expensive preparation used for cleansing the head.

No way for the head, but a headrest for the genitals.

This expression is used to describe a person who lacks basic necessities or a proper foundation (the head) but indulges in unnecessary luxuries or shows off with trivial things (the genitals). It mocks someone whose priorities are misplaced or who tries to maintain a facade of comfort despite being in a dire situation.

There is no ritual impurity for a marijuana pipe or a toddy cup.

This expression is used to highlight hypocrisy or the selective application of social norms. It points out that for people addicted to vices or those who are deeply immoral, traditional rules of cleanliness, sanctity, or social taboos are often conveniently ignored or considered inapplicable.

Not even gruel to drink, but asks for flowers/decorations for the head.

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic necessities or means of survival, yet indulges in unnecessary luxuries or shows off beyond their status. It highlights the irony of being poor but maintaining a false sense of vanity or pride.

If you look at it, it's a silver bowl; if you try to drink from it, it's an empty bowl.

This expression describes something that looks grand, expensive, or promising on the outside but is actually empty, useless, or disappointing upon closer inspection or when put to use. It is used to mock pretentiousness or things that lack substance despite their attractive appearance.

The name is Gangabhavani, but there isn't a drop of water to drink.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where there is a huge contrast between a person's grand name or reputation and their actual humble or poor reality. It highlights hypocrisy or a lack of resources despite having a fancy title.

There is no elder woman above the mother-in-law, and no servant above the husband.

This traditional proverb highlights the hierarchy and roles within an old-fashioned household. It suggests that just as the mother-in-law is the ultimate authority for a daughter-in-law, the husband acts as the primary provider or 'servant' of the family's needs. It is often used to describe domestic dynamics or to point out that everyone has a specific superior or role to fulfill.

Your name is mother Gangâ, but when I want a drink I find you have no water.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where there is a huge contrast between one's grand title or reputation and their actual reality or lack of resources. It mocks irony or hypocrisy when someone carries a prestigious name but lacks basic necessities.

Where you think there are flitches of bacon there are not even hooks to hang them on. (Spanish.)

No acridity in Kanda or Chêma, how can there be any in Tôṭakûra ?

This expression is used to mock someone who is unnecessarily bothered or offended by something when the people directly involved are perfectly fine. It highlights the absurdity of an outsider reacting more strongly than the principal parties, similar to the English sentiment of being 'more Catholic than the Pope.'

Kanda is the Arum Campanulatum; Chêma is the Colocasia Antiquorum; Tôṭakûra is applied to the Amaranthus Oleraceus, and other herbs. When a man's relatives and friends won't assist him, why should help be expected from a mere acquaintance ?