తాను తిన తవుడు లేదు, వారాంగనకు వడియాలు కావా అన్నాట్ట.

tanu tina tavudu ledu, varanganaku vadiyalu kava annatta.

Translation

He doesn't have bran to eat himself, yet he asks for sun-dried crackers for his courtesan.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who lacks basic necessities for themselves but attempts to indulge in extravagant luxuries or provide for others beyond their means. It mocks pretentious behavior or misplaced priorities where one tries to maintain a high status despite being in poverty.

Related Phrases

There is no bran for oneself to eat, but fried dumplings for the courtesan.

This proverb describes a situation where a person lacks basic necessities for themselves but pretends to be wealthy or generous by offering luxuries to others. It is used to mock someone who engages in extravagant displays of vanity while being in a state of poverty or debt.

There is not a man who knows not medicine, nor one who has not been wet by rain. Every man is a fool or a physician at forty.

This proverb highlights that basic medical knowledge (home remedies) is common among everyone, just as experiencing rain is universal. It is often used to suggest that everyone has some level of practical wisdom or that certain life experiences are unavoidable and shared by all.

When they call out "Deaf man! Deaf man!" he answers "[ I've got ] Bran, Bran!"

This proverb is used to describe a complete lack of communication or a situation where two people are talking about entirely different things. It refers to a person who misunderstands what is being said due to a lack of attention or hearing, responding with something totally irrelevant. It is used in situations where there is no sync between a question and an answer.

The jingle of the Telugu words is similar to that of the English equivalents.

When one person says 'deafness, deafness', the other person says 'bran, bran'

This expression describes a situation where two people are talking at cross-purposes or failing to communicate effectively due to a misunderstanding or a lack of attention. It is used when one person's words are completely misinterpreted by another, leading to a nonsensical or irrelevant response, much like a deaf person mishearing a word and replying with something that sounds similar but has a different meaning.

When told 'The Kadiyala family has arrived', he asked 'Do they want bracelets?'

This proverb is used to mock people who take things too literally or misunderstand context by focusing only on the phonetics of a word. 'Kadiyala' is a common Telugu surname, but the listener confuses it with the jewelry 'Kadiyalu' (bracelets), showing a lack of common sense or social awareness.

There is no limit to purity, nor any beginning to impurity. Man is sinful from his birth, and never attains to perfect purity.

This proverb highlights that tradition and custom (Achara) can be endlessly elaborate with no final limit, while deviations or lack of tradition (Anachara) have no specific origin or defined structure. It is often used to suggest that one can get lost in the complexities of rituals or that improper conduct has existed forever without a clear starting point.

Should a man strut who lives on bran?

This proverb is used to criticize someone who tries to act wealthy or sophisticated (putting on airs) while living in extreme poverty or lacking basic necessities. It highlights the irony of pretentiousness when one's actual situation is humble.

There is no bran to eat, but a piglet is needed every week.

This expression is used to describe a person who lacks basic necessities or financial stability but insists on living a luxurious or extravagant lifestyle beyond their means. It highlights the irony of having zero resources while maintaining expensive habits or making grand demands.

There is no one who has never learned medicine, and no one who has never been soaked in the rain.

This proverb highlights that in life, everyone eventually gains some practical knowledge about health and remedies through personal experience with ailments. Similarly, just as it is impossible to stay dry if one is out in the rain, it is impossible to live a life without encountering and learning how to treat common illnesses. It is used to suggest that everyone possesses a basic level of medical intuition or 'home remedy' knowledge.

He has not even bran to eat, but he wants a pig every week.

This proverb describes a person who lacks even the basic necessities of life yet indulges in or demands expensive luxuries and extravagant habits. It is used to mock someone who lives far beyond their means or has unrealistic, high-end desires despite being in poverty.