తొడరి యాలినమ్మి లొత్తును గొన్నట్లు.

todari yalinammi lottunu gonnatlu.

Translation

Like selling one's wife to buy a camel.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where someone makes a foolish or short-sighted trade, sacrificing something of immense value and necessity for something of lesser utility or something they cannot manage. It signifies a complete lack of judgment and a poor sense of priorities.

Related Phrases

Like buying bread from someone who already has the flour.

This expression describes a situation where a transaction or deal is made with someone who possesses all the necessary resources, making the outcome guaranteed and effortless. It is used to indicate a secure and reliable way of getting something done without complications.

Selling the fertilizer and putting the quilt in the hearth.

This expression is used to describe a foolish or self-destructive person who sells their source of livelihood (fertilizer for farming) and then destroys their only means of comfort or warmth (the quilt) for fuel. It refers to someone who makes decisions that lead to their own total ruin by wasting both their assets and their necessities.

Like cutting the throat after gaining trust.

This expression is used to describe a severe act of betrayal or backstabbing. It refers to a situation where someone gains another person's complete confidence and then uses that trust to cause them significant harm or ruin.

Like selling a shop to buy a woolly blanket.

This proverb describes a foolish or short-sighted decision where someone sells a valuable, income-generating asset (a shop) to acquire a low-value, consumable, or temporary item (a blanket). It is used to critique poor financial management or lack of foresight.

Buying a pupil while having an eye

This proverb is used to describe an act of extreme foolishness or redundant effort, where one spends money or resources to acquire something they already possess as a natural part of themselves. It highlights the irony of trying to purchase the essence of what one already has.

When asked which way, saying Godavari.

This expression describes a situation where someone gives an irrelevant, nonsensical, or rhyming answer to a question instead of providing the actual information requested. It highlights a lack of connection between the question asked and the response given, often used when someone is being evasive or is completely lost in conversation.

No one has been ruined by trusting an onion or by trusting their mother.

This proverb highlights the immense health benefits of onions and the protective nature of a mother. Just as a mother always looks after her child's well-being, including an onion in one's diet is believed to provide medicinal benefits that safeguard health. It is used to emphasize that some things are inherently reliable and beneficial.

Like a tiger seizing a breeding bull in the field

This expression is used to describe a situation where a strong or influential person is suddenly and unexpectedly overcome by an even more powerful force. Just as a strong bull in an open field seems invincible but is easily taken down by a tiger, it refers to the sudden downfall of someone who was previously in a position of strength or security.

Like selling the plate to buy anklets.

This proverb describes a situation where someone sacrifices a basic necessity or a useful tool for a luxury or a useless ornament. It refers to poor financial judgment or misplaced priorities, specifically trading something essential for survival for something that is merely for show.

When asked which way, saying 'Godavari' way.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone gives an irrelevant or nonsensical answer to a specific question, or when there is a complete lack of communication/understanding between two people. It highlights a disconnect where the response has nothing to do with the query.