తాళ్లు తన్నేవారి తలలు తన్నేవాడు
tallu tannevari talalu tannevadu
A man that kicks the heads of people who kick the tops of Palmyra trees. More wicked than the other.
This expression is used to describe a person who is smarter, more cunning, or more powerful than someone who is already considered clever or formidable. It is the equivalent of the English saying 'to meet one's match' or 'there is always a bigger fish.'
Related Phrases
తాడి తన్నే వానిని తలతన్నే వాడుంటాడు
tadi tanne vanini talatanne vaduntadu
For someone who can kick a palm tree, there will be someone who can kick their head.
This expression is used to remind people that no matter how powerful, clever, or skilled they think they are, there is always someone more capable or superior to them. It is a warning against arrogance and a reminder that every expert has a master.
తన్ను కట్టే తాళ్ళు తానే తెచ్చుకున్నట్లు
tannu katte tallu tane techchukunnatlu
As if bringing the very ropes used to tie oneself up.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone inadvertently creates their own troubles or provides the means for their own downfall. It is similar to the English idiom 'digging one's own grave' or 'handing someone a stick to beat you with'.
తాడి తన్ను వాని తల తన్ను వాడు ఉండును.
tadi tannu vani tala tannu vadu undunu.
There will be one who can kick the head of the one who kicks the top of a palm tree.
There are always people who are of superior abilities. One should try for the best in life, but after achieving a good position in life, one should not feel that one is at the top of the world; there are still higher peaks to reach.
తనను కట్టే తాళ్ళు తానే తెచ్చుకున్నట్టు
tananu katte tallu tane techchukunnattu
Like bringing the very ropes that will be used to tie oneself up.
This proverb describes a situation where a person's own actions, decisions, or words inadvertently lead to their own downfall, trouble, or restriction. It is used when someone creates the very tools or circumstances that others eventually use against them.
తిన్న ఇంటి వాసాలు లెక్కపెట్టడం
tinna inti vasalu lekkapettadam
A man that counts the rafters of his benefactor's house. A story is told of a man who counted the rafters, &c., of a house in order that he might take possession of it and found his claim to it on this know- ledge. Hence the term is applied to a person basely attempting to swindle another, who had befriended him, out of his property.
This proverb describes an act of extreme ingratitude or treachery. It refers to someone who seeks to harm or find faults in a person or household that helped them or provided them with food and shelter. It is used to condemn those who betray their benefactors.
All's lost that's put into a riven dish.
తల దన్నేవాడు పోతే, తాడి తన్నేవాడు వస్తాడు
tala dannevadu pote, tadi tannevadu vastadu
If a man who kicks heads leaves, a man who kicks palm trees will arrive
This proverb is used to warn that if one problematic or clever person leaves, they might be replaced by someone even more difficult, smarter, or more dangerous. It implies that things can always get more intense or that there is always someone superior in skill or mischief.
దున్నేవాడు లెక్క చూస్తే నాగలి కూడా మిగలదు
dunnevadu lekka chuste nagali kuda migaladu
If the plougher look into his accounts [he will find] that the plough even does not remain [ as profit ]. The expenses of cultivation.
This proverb highlights that in certain professions like agriculture or creative pursuits, if one becomes overly concerned with minute profit-and-loss calculations or potential risks from the start, they would never be able to complete the work. It is used to suggest that some tasks require hard work and faith rather than just mathematical skepticism, as over-analysis can lead to inaction or the realization that the effort exceeds the material gain.
తాను పెంచిన పొట్టేలే తన్నినట్లు.
tanu penchina pottele tanninatlu.
Like the ram one raised personally coming back to butt/kick them.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is betrayed or harmed by a person they have nurtured, helped, or protected. It is similar to the English expression 'biting the hand that feeds you.' It highlights the irony and pain of facing ingratitude from those closest to us.
మాంసం తినేవాడు పోతే, బొమికలు తినేవాడు వస్తాడు
mamsam tinevadu pote, bomikalu tinevadu vastadu
If the one who eats meat leaves, the one who eats bones will come.
This proverb is used to warn that if a bad person or a difficult situation is replaced, the successor might be even worse or more exploitative. It highlights the fear that the 'new' might be more desperate or damaging than the 'old'.
కూర్చుండి లేవలేడు గాని, ఎగసి తాటికాయలు తన్నుతానన్నాడట
kurchundi levaledu gani, egasi tatikayalu tannutanannadata
He could not stand up, yet he talked of jumping up and kicking down a palmyra fruit.
This expression is used to describe someone who boasts about achieving grand, impossible feats while they are incapable of performing even the simplest, basic tasks. It mocks overambition and empty bragging by highlighting the gap between a person's actual ability and their claims.
Vain boasting.