తల్లి చెవులు తెంచిన వాడికి ముత్తవతల్లి చెవులు వెంట్రుక మాత్రము
talli chevulu tenchina vadiki muttavatalli chevulu ventruka matramu
The man who tears [the ornaments out of] his mother's ears, will not care a rush for the ears of his great-grand- mother.
This proverb is used to describe a person who is so hardened or wicked that they have already committed a grave sin or major crime, making a smaller offense seem insignificant to them. It implies that once someone has crossed a major moral boundary (like harming their own mother), they will not hesitate to commit further, even smaller, wrongs against others.
Related Phrases
నా చెవులూ కంసాలే కుట్టాడు.
na chevulu kamsale kuttadu.
The goldsmith himself pierced my ears.
This expression is used to convey that someone is highly experienced, clever, or not easily deceived. By saying a 'goldsmith' (a professional expert) did the piercing, the speaker implies they have been seasoned by experts or have seen enough of the world to know better than to be fooled.
ముందు వచ్చిన చెవులకన్నా, వెనక వచ్చిన కొమ్ములు వాడి
mundu vachchina chevulakanna, venaka vachchina kommulu vadi
The horns which came last are sharper than the ears which came first. Said of a new comer wishing to usurp authority over his seniors.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a newcomer, junior, or younger person surpasses their senior or predecessor in skill, power, or success. It highlights that experience (age) doesn't always guarantee superiority over late-blooming talent or sharp ambition.
చెవులు కోసి, చేపలు పంచినట్లు
chevulu kosi, chepalu panchinatlu
Like cutting off someone's ears and then distributing fish.
This expression describes a situation where someone causes a person a significant loss or injury, and then tries to compensate for it with something trivial or irrelevant. It highlights the absurdity of offering a small, useless favor after causing irreversible damage.
తన తల్లి చావుకన్నా పిన తల్లి చావు మేలు.
tana talli chavukanna pina talli chavu melu.
The death of an aunt is better than the death of a mother.
This proverb is used to highlight the difference in the magnitude of loss. It suggests that while any loss is unfortunate, the loss of someone closer or more essential (like a mother) is far more devastating than the loss of someone relatively less central (like a stepmother or aunt). It is often used to prioritize or compare two negative outcomes, indicating that one is comparatively more bearable than the other.
ఉల్లి చేసిన మేలు తల్లి కూడా చేయదు
ulli chesina melu talli kuda cheyadu
Even a mother cannot do as much good as an onion does.
This is a popular Telugu proverb emphasizing the immense medicinal and health benefits of onions. It suggests that while a mother is the ultimate caretaker, the therapeutic properties of onions are so unique and powerful for the body that they are incomparable. It is used to encourage the consumption of onions for well-being.
నా చెవులూ కంసాలే కుట్టాడు
na chevulu kamsale kuttadu
The goldsmith pierced my ears too
This expression is used sarcastically to indicate that the speaker is not a fool and cannot be easily deceived. By saying 'the same goldsmith pierced my ears too', the speaker implies they have as much experience, wisdom, or sharpness as the person trying to trick them.
అంతమాత్రమేనా కొడకా, చెవులు పట్టుకొని తడవేవు అన్నట్టు
antamatramena kodaka, chevulu pattukoni tadavevu annattu
Am I so well off, my son, that you should feel my ears?
This expression is used to describe a person who reacts with unnecessary panic or goes to extreme lengths for a very minor issue. It highlights a situation where someone's worry or investigation is disproportionate to the actual problem, or when someone is trying to verify something obvious in a clumsy way.
Said by an old woman to a thief. * Mel in ore, verba lactis, Fel in corda, fras in factis.
తల్లి చెవులు తెంపినవానికి పినతల్లి చెవులు బీరపువ్వులు.
talli chevulu tempinavaniki pinatalli chevulu birapuvvulu.
To a person who has torn off his own mother's ears, his aunt's ears are like ridge gourd flowers.
This proverb describes a person who is so cruel or heartless that they have harmed their own closest kin. For such a person, harming others (like an aunt or distant relative) is a trivial matter. It is used to warn others about a person's character; if someone doesn't spare their own family, they certainly won't spare you.
మళయాలములో చెవులు కుట్టుతారని, మాయవరములోనుంచి చెవులు మూసుకొని పోయినట్టు.
malayalamulo chevulu kuttutarani, mayavaramulonunchi chevulu musukoni poyinattu.
[Having heard that] they bore in Malayâlam, she covered up her ears all the way from Mâyavaram.
This proverb describes someone who is overly anxious or paranoid. It refers to a person who takes extreme, unnecessary precautions far in advance or at a great distance out of irrational fear of a potential event. It is used to mock those who overreact to rumors or distant threats.
Mâyavaram is near Combaconum.
రాటానికి రెండు చెవులు, నాకు రెండు చెవులు.
rataniki rendu chevulu, naku rendu chevulu.
The spinning wheel has two ears, and I have two ears.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone claims equality with another person or object based on a very superficial or irrelevant similarity, while ignoring the vast difference in status, function, or utility. It highlights a false or absurd comparison.