తల్లి చాలు పిల్లకు తప్పుతుందా?

talli chalu pillaku tapputunda?

Translation

Will the child (daughter) fail to follow in its mother's track ?

Meaning

This proverb suggests that offspring will naturally inherit the traits, habits, or path of their parents. It is often used to imply that children inevitably follow in their parents' footsteps, whether for better or worse, similar to how a calf follows the furrow made by the mother cow.

Notes

She hath a mark after her mother. As the old cock crows, so crows the young. " As is the mother so is her daughter." Ezekiel xvi. 44.

Related Phrases

Even if the Brahmins miss (the predictions), the neem trees won't; even if the neem trees miss, the Eruvaka Purnima won't.

This is a traditional agricultural proverb highlighting the certainty of seasonal cycles. It suggests that while human predictions (astrology/almanacs) might fail, nature's signs (like neem trees flowering) and fixed seasonal festivals (like Eruvaka Purnima, which marks the start of the sowing season) are reliable indicators for farmers to begin their work.

Like chickens having wings and palm trees having udders.

This expression is used to describe something that is completely obvious or redundant. Just as it is common knowledge that chickens have wings and palm trees (or ropes/cables in some dialects) lack anatomical parts like udders, it refers to stating the obvious or describing a situation where everything is exactly as expected, often used in a sarcastic tone regarding redundant observations.

Children and the legs of a stool do not feel the cold. To a child all weather is cold.

This expression is used to describe how children are so active and energetic that they don't seem to feel the cold even in winter. Just as the inanimate wooden legs of a stool (peetakoallu) are unaffected by the weather, children playing outdoors often ignore the cold temperature.

Like the wings of fowls, and the flower-stalks of palmyra trees.

This expression is used to describe things that are completely natural, obvious, or inherent to a situation. It points out that certain characteristics are just the way things are, often used to dismiss a silly question or to highlight a self-evident truth.

Domestic fowls make no use of their wings, and the flower-stalk ( spadix ) of the palmyra bears no fruit. Useless possessions.

A stone thrown by a madman may hit or it may miss.

This proverb is used to describe an unpredictable outcome or a situation governed purely by chance rather than skill or logic. It suggests that when dealing with an unstable person or a disorganized plan, the result is entirely accidental—success is a stroke of luck and failure is just as likely, so one should not depend on it.

I am not grieved because my husband beat me, but because his brother's wife will taunt me. Ridicule is feared more than pain.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is less bothered by the primary hardship or problem itself, but is deeply hurt by the mockery or humiliation they face from peers or others as a result of it. It highlights how social stigma or being looked down upon by equals can be more painful than the actual misfortune.

If you cheat the mother, the child will suffer a loss/hole.

This proverb is typically used in the context of cattle or livestock, implying that if one cheats the mother (e.g., by not feeding it well or milking it excessively), the offspring will inevitably suffer. Metaphorically, it means that if you neglect the source or the root of something, the result or the future generation will be flawed or deprived.

A mother's shadow/influence cannot be escaped by the child.

This proverb is the Telugu equivalent of 'Like mother, like daughter' or 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree'. It implies that a child (specifically a daughter) will naturally inherit the traits, character, and habits of her mother.

Is there a cat that doesn't drink milk?

This rhetorical question is used to describe a situation where someone is naturally or inevitably tempted by something they love. It is often applied when someone pretends to be disinterested in something they actually desire, or to imply that it is impossible for a person to resist a specific, habitual temptation.

The good that an onion does, even a mother cannot do.

This is a popular Telugu proverb highlighting the immense medicinal and health benefits of onions. It suggests that while a mother is the most selfless caretaker, the therapeutic properties of onions are so unique and powerful for the human body that they provide benefits even a mother's care cannot replicate.