తల్లి విషం, పెళ్ళాం బెల్లం

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.

This proverb describes a situation where a person, usually a man, becomes so infatuated or influenced by his wife that he begins to view his own mother with hostility or disdain. It is used to criticize someone who forgets their parents' sacrifices and treats them poorly after marriage, prioritizing their spouse to an extreme and unfair degree.

This proverb describes a selfish or miserly person who finds it painful to spend their own money (comparing it to the pungent, sharp taste of ginger) but finds great sweetness and pleasure in spending or using others' resources (comparing it to the sweetness of jaggery).

This proverb describes a common human tendency where a person finds their spouse sweet and desirable (like jaggery) while viewing their mother as mundane or unimportant (like common soil/clay) after marriage. It is used to criticize those who neglect or undervalue their parents' lifelong sacrifices in favor of new relationships.

This expression describes a situation where a man unfairly views his mother's well-intended advice as bitter or harmful while seeing everything his wife says as sweet and desirable. It is typically used to critique someone who neglects or disrespects their mother due to an over-attachment or bias toward their spouse.

This expression is used to suggest that a problem or an evil force can only be neutralized or countered by something of its own nature or intensity. It is similar to the English proverb 'Fight fire with fire' or 'Like cures like.'

This proverb is used to describe a person who prioritizes his wife and finds her sweet (like jaggery) while neglecting his mother or viewing her as a burden/troublemaker (like a ghost). It is typically used as a criticism of someone who forgets their filial duties after marriage.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone treats opposites or things of vastly different quality as the same. It often refers to a lack of discrimination, poor judgment, or ruining something good (jaggery) by mixing it with something bad (dung). It can also describe bringing together two incompatible people or ideas.

This proverb describes a hypocrite who speaks very sweetly or kindly to your face while harboring malicious intent or hatred in their heart. It is used to warn someone about people whose words do not match their true internal feelings.

Honey in his mouth, words of milk; Gall in his heart, fraud in his deeds. ( Latin. )*

This proverb illustrates how people in power or those with higher social status often take liberties with or lack respect for those who are vulnerable or lack protection. It suggests that when someone is poor or weak, everyone feels entitled to treat them with over-familiarity or disregard their dignity.