తెల్లవారి లేచినందుకు దోవ తప్పినందుకూ సరి.

tellavari lechinanduku dova tappinanduku sari.

Translation

Waking up early and losing the way offset each other.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where the effort put into a task is rendered useless by a subsequent mistake or hurdle. It highlights that the benefit gained from starting early or working hard was nullified because the person ended up going in the wrong direction or making a fundamental error, resulting in no net progress.

Related Phrases

Three gold coins were wasted for your first visit; why have you come again, you wretched woman?

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone has already caused a significant loss or nuisance in the past, yet they return to cause even more trouble. It highlights the frustration of dealing with a recurring problem or a person who does not learn from their previous mistakes and continues to be a burden.

The stream flowing is the only proof that it rained.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a significant event or person is only remembered or acknowledged because of a specific visible result or a lingering effect, rather than the event itself. It can also imply that someone only receives credit when a tangible outcome is seen.

She didn't cry because her husband hit her, but because her sister-in-law laughed at it.

This proverb describes a situation where the humiliation or mockery from peers is more painful than the actual suffering or punishment itself. It is used when someone is more bothered by public embarrassment or the reactions of others than by the core problem they are facing.

Boiling the nuts is equal to drinking the residue.

This proverb describes a situation where the effort put into a task is completely negated by the poor quality of the result, or where one trouble cancels out another with no net gain. It is used when a difficult process yields a disappointing or insignificant outcome, effectively meaning 'it was all for nothing' or 'the effort and the result are equally bad'.

Waking up early and losing the way balanced each other out.

This expression is used when the extra effort or advantage gained at the start of a task is completely negated by a subsequent mistake or misfortune. It implies that despite a good start, one is back to square one due to poor execution or bad luck.

He said it's a fair trade: for the time spent grazing the bulls, he got to swallow the food morsels.

This expression describes a situation where the effort put into a task is exactly equal to or barely covered by the meager reward received, resulting in no real gain or profit. It is used when someone works hard just to meet basic sustenance or when a transaction results in a zero-sum outcome with no benefit for the labor involved.

She said she was crying for 'Nandu'.

This phrase is used to describe a situation where someone is pretending to be sad or upset for a noble reason, while their true motive is hidden or entirely different. It highlights hypocrisy or deceptive behavior.

Since my people said no and I still went to the Mangalagiri festival, I deserve exactly this.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone experiences a predictable misfortune or failure after deliberately ignoring the sound advice of well-wishers. It emphasizes self-inflicted consequences and the irony of regret after being warned. It is often used to express self-reproach or to point out someone's stubbornness.

Who are witnesses to the [ blow ] struck in the fair ? In a crowd, no one can tell by whom a blow was struck.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where an event happens in such a chaotic or crowded environment that it is impossible to pinpoint the culprit or find reliable witnesses. It suggests that in the middle of a massive commotion, individual actions often go unnoticed or unproven.

It is not because the husband beat me, but because the sister-in-law laughed at me.

This proverb describes a situation where the actual pain or loss caused by a primary event is less hurtful than the humiliation or mockery faced from peers or rivals during that event. It is used to highlight how social embarrassment or the gloating of others often stings more than the misfortune itself.