తొండ ముదిరి ఊసరవెల్లి అయినట్లు

tonda mudiri usaravelli ayinatlu

Translation

Like a garden lizard maturing into a chameleon.

Meaning

This proverb describes a situation where someone's negative traits or cunning nature have worsened or intensified over time. It is used to refer to an individual who has transitioned from being a small-time troublemaker to a highly deceptive or dangerous person.

Related Phrases

As if everything spun became cotton again.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a lot of hard work or effort results in zero progress, or when things return to their original raw state despite the labor put in. It signifies wasted effort or a futile exercise where the end product is no better than the starting material.

The chameleon is the one that changes colors.

This expression is used to describe a person who frequently changes their opinions, allegiances, or behavior to suit their self-interest or the current situation. It refers to someone who is hypocritical, inconsistent, or untrustworthy, much like a chameleon changing its skin color to blend into its environment.

If a fox ages/matures, it becomes a 'vadu' (cunning man); if a garden lizard ages/matures, it becomes a chameleon.

This expression is used to describe how people or situations evolve into more extreme or devious versions of themselves. It suggests that with age or experience, a person's inherent traits (especially negative ones like cunningness or fickleness) become more pronounced and refined. It is often used to mock someone who has become increasingly manipulative or prone to changing their stance.

An aging bachelor, an overripe okra, and an aging prostitute are of no use.

This is a traditional Telugu proverb used to describe things or people that lose their value, utility, or charm once they pass their prime. Just as an overripe okra becomes too fibrous to cook, certain roles or states of being become problematic or ineffective if they persist too long beyond their ideal time.

Whether it is a wooden cat or a clay cat, the one that catches the mouse is the real cat.

This expression emphasizes pragmatism and results over appearance or origin. It suggests that the effectiveness or utility of a person or a tool is more important than its form, cost, or status. It is used to convey that the end result is what truly matters in evaluating a solution.

If a garden lizard matures, it becomes a chameleon; if a shepherd matures, he becomes a monk.

This proverb highlights how people's nature or professional identity changes as they grow older or more experienced. It suggests that with age and experience, individuals often undergo a transformation into a more complex or refined version of themselves, similar to how a common lizard is perceived to change into a more specialized chameleon.

A widow becoming a courtesan as she ages is like a garden lizard becoming a chameleon as it matures.

This proverb is used to describe how people or situations can change into more cunning, complex, or undesirable forms over time or with experience. It suggests that certain negative traits or circumstances tend to evolve into more sophisticated versions of themselves rather than improving.

The Tonda grew old, and became an Usaravilli.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a minor problem or a simple person evolves into something much more complex, cunning, or dangerous. It often refers to someone becoming more deceptive or manipulative as they gain experience or grow older.

Tonda is a bloodsucker ( chameleon ) which when old is called Usaravilli. Vice growing with age.

When trying to make a sage, it turned into a cat

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone attempts to do something great or noble, but due to lack of skill or bad luck, the end result is mediocre or a failure. It is similar to the English expression 'The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry.' Note: The user provided 'Malli' (Jasmine) or 'Munni', but the standard proverb is 'Muni' (Sage/Ascetic).

Like a snake aging and eventually becoming a 'Gama' (Protective Spirit/Deity)

This expression refers to how someone or something changes significantly in character, status, or temperament over a long period of time. In folklore, it is believed that an old snake evolves into a 'Gama' (a guardian spirit of hidden treasures). It is used to describe a person who has grown very experienced, wise, or even more formidable and dangerous with age.