ఊ అంటే తప్పే, ఆ అంటే తప్పే, నారాయణ అంటే బూతు.

u ante tappe, a ante tappe, narayana ante butu.

Translation

If you say 'Uu' it's a mistake, if you say 'Aa' it's a mistake, and saying 'Narayana' is considered an insult.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe an extremely difficult person or situation where no matter what you say or how politely you behave, the other person finds fault with it. It characterizes a scenario of irrational criticism where even a divine name (Narayana) is twisted into something negative.

Related Phrases

If I say 'Amudu', he says 'Temudu'; if I say 'Mother-in-law', he says 'Father-in-law'.

This proverb describes a person who is intentionally argumentative or contradictory. It is used to mock someone who habitually gives opposite or nonsensical replies to whatever is said, making communication impossible.

When one says 'In the house, Narayannamma', the other says 'Go, Govinda'

This expression is used to describe a situation where there is a total lack of coordination or communication between two people. When one person says something, the other gives a completely irrelevant or opposite response, leading to a situation where nothing gets accomplished due to the disconnect.

When said 'Stay, Narayanamma', she replied 'Go, Govinda'.

This proverb describes a situation where there is a complete lack of coordination or communication between two people. It is used when one person's words or actions are entirely irrelevant or contrary to what another person has said, often implying a stubborn or dismissive attitude.

When told to say 'Narayana' (God's name) on the deathbed, one said 'Sisa' (Bottle)

This proverb describes a situation where someone is given good or spiritual advice at a critical moment, but they respond with something trivial, irrelevant, or related to their bad habits. It highlights how difficult it is to change one's nature or focus on what is important, even in the final moments of life.

Six units of strength if you drink porridge, three units if you eat rice.

This proverb highlights the nutritional value and physical strength provided by traditional fermented porridge (Ambali) compared to plain rice. It is used to suggest that simple, traditional foods are often more sustaining for hard physical labor than sophisticated or processed alternatives.

If I say "Â" (yes), it's wrong; if I say "Nārāyaṇa," it's obscene.

This proverb is used to describe a person who is extremely hypersensitive, hypercritical, or impossible to please. It depicts a situation where even the most innocent or sacred words (like 'Narayana') are deliberately misinterpreted as offensive or negative by someone looking for an excuse to find fault.

Faults are thick where love is thin. (Welsh.)

When said 'Trust me, Narayana', he replied 'I would rather trust a fox'

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone has so little faith in a particular person that they would rather trust a notoriously cunning or deceitful entity (like a fox) instead. It highlights extreme distrust or the irony of someone untrustworthy asking for faith.

When asked to speak word by word, the parrot started speaking filth.

This proverb describes a situation where someone is encouraged to speak or participate, but they end up saying something inappropriate, offensive, or counterproductive. It is used when a person lacks discretion and spoils a situation by oversharing or using foul language when they were expected to be polite.

If you give a little to the whole community, each individual gets only a tiny bit like a fingernail.

This proverb is used to describe situations where a resource, when distributed among a very large group of people, results in each person receiving a negligible or insignificant amount. It highlights the dilution of benefits in over-crowded or large-scale distributions.

The scriptures might be false, but death is a certainty.

This proverb is used to highlight an undeniable truth or an inevitable outcome. While theories, predictions, or traditional rules (Shastras) might sometimes fail or be debated, certain physical realities like death are absolute. It is often used to remind someone to focus on practical, undeniable facts rather than getting lost in theoretical arguments.