తేలుకుట్టిన దొంగవలె
telukuttina dongavale
Like a thief stung by a scorpion
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is suffering or in trouble but cannot cry out for help or complain because doing so would reveal their own wrongdoing or secret. Just as a thief cannot scream when stung by a scorpion while hiding, the person must endure their pain in silence.
Related Phrases
దొంగకు తేలు కుట్టినట్లు
dongaku telu kuttinatlu
Like a thief, stung by a scorpion.
This refers to some criminal who cannot even complain. If a person is doing something criminal, he cannot complain against a natural problem/discomfort he has to face. The moral is that it is better not to commit blunders one may find it difficult to get out of them.
దొంగను తేలు కుట్టినట్టు
donganu telu kuttinattu
Like a robber stung by a scorpion. A man does not cry out when he suffers from his own folly.
This expression describes a situation where someone is suffering or facing a problem but cannot complain or cry out for help because doing so would reveal their own wrongdoings or secrets. Just as a thief cannot scream when stung by a scorpion while stealing for fear of getting caught, it refers to a state of silent, helpless suffering.
కన్నంలో దొరికిన దొంగ గతి
kannamlo dorikina donga gati
The fate of a thief caught in the hole (of a wall).
This expression describes a situation where someone is caught red-handed or trapped in a hopeless, compromising position with no possibility of escape or denial. It is used when a person's wrongdoing is exposed so clearly that they are left completely helpless and at the mercy of others.
అమ్మకు పుట్టిన ఆరుగురూ గుగ్గిళ్ళ దొంగలే!
ammaku puttina aruguru guggilla dongale!
All six born to the mother are thieves of boiled chickpeas!
This proverb is used to describe a situation where everyone in a group or family is equally guilty, incompetent, or flawed. It implies that there is no point in blaming one person when everyone involved shares the same nature or has committed the same mistake. It is often used to highlight collective accountability or shared bad habits within a close-knit group.
లోభి సొమ్ము దొంగవాడి పాలు.
lobhi sommu dongavadi palu.
A miser's property falls to the lot of the thief.
This proverb suggests that wealth hoarded by a greedy or miserly person, who refuses to spend it on themselves or for good causes, will eventually be taken away by others (like thieves) or wasted by circumstances. It emphasizes the futility of extreme hoarding.
కోతికి తేలు కుట్టినట్లు
kotiki telu kuttinatlu
Like a monkey bitten by a scorpion
This expression is used to describe a person who is naturally restless or mischievous, but becomes even more hyperactive, erratic, or uncontrollable due to a specific provocation or situation. It highlights a state of extreme agitation added to an already unstable personality.
దొంగకు దొంగ తోడు
dongaku donga todu
A thief is a companion to another thief
This expression is used to describe how people with similar bad habits, questionable characters, or dishonest intentions tend to support and protect each other. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'Birds of a feather flock together' or 'Honor among thieves', often used in a negative context to highlight collusion between wrongdoers.
కన్నం వేసిన దొంగకు తేలు కుట్టినట్టు
kannam vesina dongaku telu kuttinattu
Like a thief getting stung by a scorpion while breaking into a house
This proverb describes a situation where a person performing an illegal or unethical act meets with an unexpected problem or pain, but cannot cry out for help or complain because doing so would reveal their own wrongdoing. It is used to describe a predicament where someone must suffer in silence due to their own secret faults.
దొంగను దొంగ ఎరుగును
donganu donga erugunu
A thief is known by a thief. A thief knows a thief, as a wolf knows a wolf.
This proverb implies that people of the same kind, especially those with malicious or secretive habits, can easily recognize each other's traits or motives. It is equivalent to the English proverb 'It takes one to know one' or 'Birds of a feather flock together.'
పాత దొంగ దొరకకపోడు
pata donga dorakakapodu
An old thief cannot avoid being caught forever.
This proverb suggests that no matter how experienced or clever a person is at committing wrongful acts, they will eventually be caught or their secrets will be exposed. It is used to imply that one's past misdeeds or habitual dishonesty will inevitably catch up with them.