తేనె ఎక్కడ తెత్తునయ్యా? తెల్లవారింది.
tene ekkada tettunayya? tellavarindi.
Where shall I get honey from? It is already dawn.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone makes an excuse to avoid a task because the appropriate time has passed, or when they are asked for something impossible or unavailable at that moment. It implies that the opportunity is lost or the request is impractical given the current circumstances.
Related Phrases
గోదావరీ పారింది గొద్దెలేరూ పారింది
godavari parindi goddeleru parindi
The Godavari river flowed and the Goddelu stream also flowed.
This expression is used to describe a situation where a minor or insignificant person attempts to claim equal importance or status with someone of great stature by performing the same action. It highlights the vast difference in magnitude despite the similarity in the act itself.
తెల్లవారితే ఎల్లవారమ్మల బ్రతుకు ఒకటే
tellavarite ellavarammala bratuku okate
Once dawn breaks, the lives of all women are the same.
This expression suggests that regardless of individual differences, social status, or night-time worries, the daily grind and basic survival routines become a universal struggle for everyone once the day begins. It emphasizes the commonality of human labor and the shared reality of life's daily responsibilities.
ఎల్లవారమ్మల బ్రతుకు తెల్లవారితే తెలుస్తుంది.
ellavarammala bratuku tellavarite telustundi.
When it dawns, we shall know whose mother is alive. Said by a man to his wife, at whose instigation he had agreed that they should kill his mother. The mothers of the pair slept together and the wife's mother was murdered instead of the husband's, with the latter's knowledge. The wife, having an inkling of the truth, endeavoured to per- suade her husband to go and see which of the two they had spared, and he replied as above.
This proverb implies that the true state or reality of a situation (or someone's life) is revealed when the light of day comes or when the time is right. It is used to suggest that secrets or hidden struggles cannot stay hidden forever and the truth will eventually come to light.
* Απλησιος πίθος.
వాడి పని తెల్లవారింది
vadi pani tellavarindi
His business has dawned.
This is a sarcastic or idiomatic expression used to mean that someone's business is finished, their secrets are out, or they have met their downfall. It often implies that someone's luck has run out or they have been caught in a situation from which they cannot recover.
He's blown up. He has shut up his shop windows.
కలిగినయ్య కలిగినయ్యకే పెట్టును, లేనయ్య కలిగినయ్యకే పెట్టును.
kaliginayya kaliginayyake pettunu, lenayya kaliginayyake pettunu.
The rich man will feed the rich man and the poor man will feed the rich man.
This proverb highlights a social and economic irony where the rich often receive more gifts, benefits, or favors from others regardless of the giver's own status. While the wealthy help each other to maintain status, the poor also feel compelled to give to the rich out of social pressure, hope for future favors, or fear. It describes a world where resources naturally flow toward those who already have plenty, rather than those in need.
Who has, is—(Italian.)*
అల్లుని గుడ్డి తెల్లారితే తెలుస్తుంది
alluni guddi tellarite telustundi
The son-in-law's blindness will be revealed once it's morning.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where a major defect or a harsh truth cannot be hidden for long, no matter how much one tries to conceal it initially. Just as a son-in-law might hide his vision problems during the night of the wedding, the truth inevitably comes to light when circumstances change (daylight). It is applied to deceptive situations or hidden flaws that are bound to be exposed eventually.
ఇక్కడ మునిగి అక్కడ తేలేవాడు
ikkada munigi akkada televadu
One who dives here and emerges there
This expression refers to a person who is highly cunning, elusive, or deceptive. It describes someone who disappears from one situation and reappears in another, often to avoid accountability or to secretly manipulate events. It is used to describe a person who is 'slippery' and difficult to catch or pin down.
గొల్లవారింటి పెండ్లి తెల్లవారింది
gollavarinti pendli tellavarindi
The morning dawns before the shepherds' marriage is begun. They have so many disputes that nothing can be settled.
This proverb is used to describe an event or task that took an excessively long time to complete, or a situation where people were kept waiting or busy until daybreak. It often implies a sense of exhaustion or the completion of a long, drawn-out process.
ఎల్లమ్మ బ్రతుకు తెల్లవారితే తెలుస్తుంది
ellamma bratuku tellavarite telustundi
Ellamma's life (or fate) will be known once the day breaks.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where the true outcome or the reality of a person's condition will only be revealed after a period of time or once a specific event concludes. It implies that current appearances might be deceptive and the final truth will come to light eventually.
కొక్కొరొకో అనగానే తెల్లవారినట్లా?
kokkoroko anagane tellavarinatla?
Does it become dawn just because the rooster crows?
This expression is used to remind someone that things happen in their own time and according to their natural course, not just because someone announces it or wants it to happen immediately. It is often used to mock those who think they are the cause of a major event or those who are being impatient.