తన బుట్టి చిల్లులదైతే, పొరుగువానితో అపరాలు కొలిచాడట
tana butti chilluladaite, poruguvanito aparalu kolichadata
When his Puṭṭi was found to be of short measure, he tested the Pandum and Para of his neighbour. Puṭṭi, Pandum and Para are measures of capacity. When a man was found cheating with a false measure, he tried to prove that his neighbour's measures were too large.
This proverb is used to describe a person who ignores their own glaring flaws or lack of resources while trying to compete with or involve themselves in others' business. It highlights the irony of someone attempting to manage a task when they don't even have the basic tools ready, often resulting in waste or failure.
Related Phrases
ఇంటివాడు ఈకన కొడితే, పొరుగువాడు పోకన కొడతాడు
intivadu ikana kodite, poruguvadu pokana kodatadu
If the owner of the house hits with a feather, the neighbor will hit with a rod.
This proverb warns that if you treat your own family members or belongings with disrespect or negligence in public, others will feel entitled to treat them even more harshly. It emphasizes that the way you value your own sets the standard for how the world will treat them.
పొరుగు పచ్చగా ఉంటే పొయ్యిలో నీళ్ళు పోసుకున్నట్లు
porugu pachchaga unte poyyilo nillu posukunnatlu
Like pouring water into one's own stove when the neighbor is flourishing.
This proverb describes the height of envy and spite. It refers to people who are so jealous of others' success (greenery/prosperity) that they self-destruct or stop their own progress out of sheer malice or depression caused by seeing others thrive.
పచ్చగా ఉంటే పారాడేది, వెచ్చగా ఉంటే వెళ్ళిపోయేది
pachchaga unte paradedi, vechchaga unte vellipoyedi
If it is green, it crawls; if it is hot, it leaves.
This is a traditional Telugu riddle where the answer is 'Moisture' or 'The feeling of lushness'. In a metaphorical sense, it is often used to describe wealth or prosperity (represented by 'greenery'), noting that people will flock to you when you are prosperous but will abandon you when times become difficult or 'hot'.
పొరుగు పచ్చగా ఉంటే, పొయ్యిలో నీళ్లు పోసుకున్నట్టు
porugu pachchaga unte, poyyilo nillu posukunnattu
When his neighbour prospered he poured water on his own hearth.
This proverb describes the toxic nature of extreme envy. It refers to people who are so jealous of others' success or prosperity (being 'green') that they self-destruct or extinguish their own progress and happiness (extinguishing their own cooking fire) out of spite or misery.
An envious act. To lose one eye that you may deprive another of two. (Spanish.)!
పనివాడు పందిరివేస్తే, పిచ్చుకలు వచ్చి పడదోశాయట
panivadu pandiriveste, pichchukalu vachchi padadoshayata
When a laborer built a pavilion, it is said that sparrows came and knocked it down.
This proverb is used to mock someone's incompetence or the extreme fragility of their work. It describes a situation where a task is performed so poorly that even the slightest, most insignificant force (like a sparrow) is enough to destroy it.
పోరిన పొరుగు, రాచిన కుండలు మనవు
porina porugu, rachina kundalu manavu
[In] a quarrelsome neighbourhood there is no thriving, pots rubbing together will not last.
This proverb highlights that constant conflict or friction leads to destruction. Just as a clay pot wears down and breaks if it is constantly scraped, a neighborhood or relationship filled with constant bickering (poru) will eventually fall apart or become uninhabitable.
మంచు కుంచాల కొలిచినట్లు
manchu kunchala kolichinatlu
Like measuring snow with a grain measure.
This expression refers to a futile or impossible task. Since snow melts while being handled or measured, it is impossible to get a steady or accurate quantity using a traditional measuring cup (kuncham). It is used to describe efforts that are transient, deceptive, or yield no permanent result.
తెల్లగా ఉంటే పాలు, నల్లగా ఉంటే నీళ్లు
tellaga unte palu, nallaga unte nillu
If it's white it's milk, if it's dark it's water. Said of a simple minded, guileless man.
This expression is used to describe a person who is extremely naive, innocent, or gullible. It refers to someone who lacks discernment and blindly believes whatever they are told based on superficial appearances without any critical thinking.
వడ్లు ఏదుం, పిచ్చుకలు పందుం.
vadlu edum, pichchukalu pandum.
Paddy is five units, but the sparrows are ten units.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where the expenditure or waste exceeds the actual income or resource. It highlights scenarios where the cost of protecting or maintaining something is higher than the value of the object itself.
పిచ్చివాడికి లోకమంతా పిచ్చే
pichchivadiki lokamanta pichche
To a madman, the whole world is mad
This expression describes a cognitive bias where a person with a flawed perspective or specific obsession assumes that everyone else shares the same madness or is wrong. It is used to point out that one's perception of the world is often a reflection of their own state of mind.