తుంటి మీద కొట్టితే పళ్ళు రాలాయట

tunti mida kottite pallu ralayata

Translation

When the man received a blow on his back, he cried out that he had lost his teeth.

Meaning

This proverb is used to describe a situation where there is no logical connection between a cause and its effect, or when someone gives an irrelevant or illogical response to a situation. It highlights absurdity and a lack of correlation.

Notes

Applied to inappropriate actions or words.

Related Phrases

If you slap one cheek, milk [comes ]; if you slap the other cheek, water [comes ]. Said of a very tender, delicate boy.

This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely innocent, tender, or young. It signifies a person who is so soft and fragile that they haven't yet experienced the harshness of the world, often referring to infants or very naive individuals.

Like teeth falling out of the mouth when kicked on the buttocks.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an action in one place leads to a disproportionate or unexpected consequence elsewhere. It often highlights the severity of an impact or characterizes a situation where someone is soundly defeated or humiliated in a way that affects them completely.

When hit on the hip, the teeth in the mouth fell out.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an action is taken in one place, but the consequence or reaction occurs in a completely unrelated or illogical place. It refers to an absurd lack of correlation between cause and effect, or a situation where someone reacts strangely to a situation.

Fencing on a sword

This expression is used to describe a situation that is extremely risky, precarious, or requires great skill and caution to handle without causing a disaster. It is synonymous with 'walking on a tightrope' or 'skating on thin ice'.

When hit on the hip, it is said that the teeth fell out.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where the cause and the effect are completely unrelated or illogical. It highlights a scenario where a punishment or action is misdirected, or when someone gives an absurd excuse that defies common sense.

As if the front teeth fell out at the very first kiss.

This expression is used to describe a situation where a disaster or a major failure occurs right at the beginning of an endeavor. It highlights the irony of a pleasant or hopeful start resulting in an immediate, painful setback.

Food on the high-slung basket, sleep on the village.

This expression describes a person who lives a carefree, irresponsible, or nomadic lifestyle without any domestic stability or worries. It refers to someone who eats whenever they find food (stored in an 'Utti' or rope-net basket) and sleeps wherever they happen to be in the village, essentially living without any definite home or plan.

If hit on the hip, the teeth in the mouth fell out.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an action is completely disconnected from its result, or when someone gives an irrelevant, illogical, or evasive answer to a question. It highlights a lack of cause-and-effect or a total lack of coordination.

Like getting kicked on the buttocks and losing the teeth in one's mouth.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an action taken in one place has a severe, unexpected, or disproportionate consequence elsewhere. It can also imply a person being so thoroughly beaten or defeated that the impact is felt throughout their entire body, or metaphorically, an action that leads to a surprising and painful result.

When hit in the back his teeth fell out.

This expression is used to describe a situation where an action taken in one place has an unexpected or disproportionate effect in a completely different area. It is often used to mock flawed logic, poor cause-and-effect reasoning, or when a punishment/consequence seems unrelated to the act.