తోకవడ్లు వంటకు, వెన్నుపోటు నేస్తానికి.

tokavadlu vantaku, vennupotu nestaniki.

Translation

Tailed paddy for cooking, and a backstab for friendship.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe things or people that are fundamentally unsuitable or harmful. Just as 'Toka Vadlu' (a poor quality grain with tails) is difficult to cook and yields poor results, a person who betrays trust is ruinous to a friendship. It serves as a warning against relying on low-quality resources or untrustworthy companions.

Related Phrases

Moonlight is the beauty of the night, while ears of grain are the beauty of the crop.

This proverb highlights what constitutes the true value or essence of something. Just as moonlight defines the beauty of a night, the health and abundance of the grain-heads (ears) determine the success and worth of a crop. It is used to emphasize that the final result or the core feature is what gives a thing its true significance.

Moonlight is the beauty of the night, as ears of grain are the beauty of the crop.

This proverb highlights what constitutes the essence or peak beauty of something. Just as moonlight makes a night pleasant and beautiful, the appearance of healthy ears of grain (spikelets) signifies the success and value of a crop. It is used to describe things that are essential for fulfillment or completeness.

Manure for the crop, stirring for the cooking.

This proverb highlights the essential requirements for success in specific tasks. Just as manure (pantu) is necessary for a healthy crop yield, constant stirring or tending (maratu) is necessary for a dish to be cooked properly. It is used to emphasize that every job has its own unique, indispensable process that must be followed to achieve the desired result.

Farming for survival - Friendship with a Turk

This proverb is used to describe things that are highly unreliable or unpredictable. Historically, subsistence farming depended entirely on the whims of rain, and friendship with soldiers (Turks) was seen as risky due to their unpredictable nature or shifting loyalties. It implies that certain ventures provide no security or stability.

While he was winnowing one Tûm of rice, the rats devoured five Tûms.

This proverb describes a situation where the effort put into a small task results in a disproportionately large loss elsewhere due to negligence. It is used to mock people who focus on trivial matters while ignoring significant damage occurring right under their noses, or when the cost of an operation exceeds the benefit gained.

Tûm is the Indian bushel.

Like mixing curd and paddy (unhusked rice)

This expression describes an incompatible or mismatched combination. Just as mixing curd with unhusked rice makes it impossible to eat or separate effectively, it is used to characterize situations where two things that don't belong together are joined, or when a task is done in a messy, disorganized, and unusable manner.

Like mixing rice in the husk with curds.

This expression is used to describe an incompatible or mismatched combination. Just as smooth yogurt and hard, prickly unhusked rice do not blend well or make for a pleasant meal, it refers to situations where two people, things, or ideas are brought together but do not fit or work in harmony.

By the time one 'thumu' of grain was winnowed, rats ate up five 'thumus' of grain.

This proverb describes a situation where the effort spent on a small task results in a much larger loss due to negligence or lack of focus on the bigger picture. It is used when someone's trivial gains are outweighed by significant, preventable losses occurring simultaneously.

If you buy and eat, it is merchant friendship; if you give and take, it is toddy-tapper friendship.

This proverb describes the nature of friendships based on financial status and reciprocity. A merchant (Komati) is friendly as long as you are a customer spending money, whereas an Eediga (historically associated with communal social circles) represents a friendship based on mutual exchange or sharing. It is used to highlight how the dynamics of friendship change based on economic transactions versus mutual benefit.

Like a weaver saying in the evening to his wife "woman during the day I have woven two yards, if you bring a lamp now I'll undo it all again." Said of an idle fellow.

This proverb is used to mock lazy or inefficient people who achieve very little despite having plenty of time, and then pretend to be extremely busy or productive once the time has passed or conditions become difficult. It highlights the irony of someone claiming they will do great work in the dark (or under pressure) when they couldn't finish simple work in broad daylight.