తోచీ తోచనమ్మ తోడికోడలి పుట్టినింటికి వెడితే, చూచీ చూడనట్లు చూశారట

tochi tochanamma todikodali puttinintiki vedite, chuchi chudanatlu chusharata

Translation

When a bored woman visited her sister-in-law's parental home, they looked at her as if they didn't see her at all.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a person who, out of boredom or idleness, interferes in others' business or goes to places where they are neither invited nor welcome. It highlights the resulting indifference or cold reception one receives when being an uninvited guest or a meddler.

Related Phrases

One should buy a saree looking at the girl, and a bucket looking at the well.

This proverb emphasizes suitability and appropriateness. Just as a saree should be chosen based on the person wearing it and a bucket's size must match the well's dimensions, every action or purchase should be tailored to the specific context or need rather than being decided arbitrarily.

Should I look at the milk or the vessel?

This expression describes a dilemma where one has to choose between preserving the quality of the contents (the goal) and the integrity of the container (the means/tool). It is used when a person is confused between two equally important or conflicting priorities, or when trying to handle a situation where fixing one thing might damage another.

A woman who didn't know what to do with her time went to her sister-in-law's sister's wedding.

This proverb is used to describe someone who involves themselves in unnecessary or irrelevant tasks just because they are bored or have nothing better to do. It highlights a person seeking distraction through distant connections or trivial activities.

A woman who had nothing to do went to her co-sister-in-law's parents' house.

This proverb is used to describe a person who, out of boredom or lack of meaningful work, engages in unnecessary, pointless, or irrelevant activities that serve no purpose. It highlights the tendency of idle people to meddle in things that don't concern them just to pass time.

One should sing the song after seeing the mortar.

This proverb emphasizes situational awareness and appropriateness. It suggests that one's actions, words, or efforts should be tailored to the specific circumstances or the tools at hand, similar to the English expression 'To suit the action to the word.'

Open your eyes wide before marriage, but after marriage, keep them half-closed and act as if you see but don't see.

This proverb advises individuals to be extremely cautious and observant while choosing a life partner. However, once married, it suggests that one should be tolerant and overlook minor faults or imperfections in their spouse to maintain a harmonious and happy relationship.

When a bored woman went to her sister-in-law's paternal home, an even more bored sister-in-law went to her husband's home the same way.

This proverb is used to describe people who, out of boredom or lack of purpose, engage in aimless or unproductive activities. It highlights a situation where one person's idle distraction leads to another person following suit in an equally futile or redundant manner, essentially wasting time together.

Should I look at the milk or the vessel?

This expression is used to describe a dilemma where one must choose between the quality of the content and the appearance of the container. It is often applied to situations where someone is stuck between focusing on the value of a person or object versus their external flaws or surroundings.

A stupid woman going to the marriage of her husband's bro- ther's wife's sister. Doing useless things.

This proverb describes someone who gets involved in unnecessary or distant matters just because they are bored or have no work of their own. It is used to mock people who waste time on trivial or unrelated tasks instead of doing something productive.

Are we to look at milk or at the pot? The pot is only valued for the milk in it. The jewel is not to be valued for the cabinet.

This expression is used when someone is in a dilemma or a state of confusion between two tasks or priorities, implying that they cannot focus on one thing without worrying about the other. It describes a situation where a person is overwhelmed by multiple responsibilities.