ఉచ్చ గుంటలో చేపలు పట్టినట్లు
uchcha guntalo chepalu pattinatlu
Like catching fish in a puddle of urine
This expression is used to describe someone who is extremely petty or miserly, or someone who tries to gain profit from very small, insignificant, or even disgusting sources. It highlights a person's narrow-mindedness and their tendency to exploit trivial situations for personal gain.
Related Phrases
ఎర్రను చూపి చేపను పట్టినట్టు
erranu chupi chepanu pattinattu
Like catching a fish with a worm. Fish follow the bait.
This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is lured or deceived into a trap using a small incentive or temptation to achieve a much larger gain or to manipulate them.
* At skære l fremmed Ore er ikke anderledes end i Filtehat. † Der Narben lacht, wer Wunden nie gefühlt. 10 ( 73 )
బూడిద గుంటలో కుక్క
budida guntalo kukka
Like a dog lying in the warm ashes. Keeping quiet for a while, but soon returning to mischief.
This expression is used to describe a person who settles into a comfortable or lazy situation and refuses to move or take up responsibilities. Just as a dog finds warmth in a pit of warm ashes and remains there stubbornly, it refers to someone who is stagnant and indifferent to their surroundings or progress.
చెవులు కోసి, చేపలు పంచినట్లు
chevulu kosi, chepalu panchinatlu
Like cutting off someone's ears and then distributing fish.
This expression describes a situation where someone causes a person a significant loss or injury, and then tries to compensate for it with something trivial or irrelevant. It highlights the absurdity of offering a small, useless favor after causing irreversible damage.
ఏది పట్టినా దయ్యము పట్టినట్లు
edi pattina dayyamu pattinatlu
Whatever one touches/holds, it is as if a ghost has possessed it.
This expression is used to describe someone who goes to extremes or becomes obsessively persistent in whatever task they undertake. It can also refer to someone who consistently encounters bad luck or complications in every endeavor they start, as if it were cursed or jinxed.
బట్టతలకు పేలు పట్టినట్లు
battatalaku pelu pattinatlu
Like lice infestation on a bald head
This expression is used to describe a situation that is impossible, illogical, or a blatant lie. Just as lice cannot live on a bald head because there is no hair to cling to, the phrase refers to claims or events that lack any basis in reality or common sense.
చెప్పుతో పట్టుగుడ్డలో చుట్టి కొట్టినట్లు
chepputo pattuguddalo chutti kottinatlu
Like hitting with a slipper wrapped in a silk cloth
This expression describes a situation where someone is insulted or criticized in a very polite, sophisticated, or subtle manner. It refers to a 'veiled attack' where the delivery is soft (the silk), but the impact or underlying message is harsh and humiliating (the slipper).
ఏ గుంటలో నీరు ఆ గుంటలోనే ఇంకుతుంది.
e guntalo niru a guntalone inkutundi.
The water in a pit will soak back into the same pit.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where money, resources, or efforts remain within the same circle, family, or system without going outside. It is often applied to business transactions within a family or internal adjustments where there is no net loss or gain to the external world.
ఎత్తి వేసి చేపను పట్టినట్లు
etti vesi chepanu pattinatlu
Like lifting and throwing (water) to catch a fish.
This expression refers to a traditional method of catching fish by bailing water out of a small pond or puddle until it is dry enough to catch the fish by hand. It is used to describe a situation where someone puts in a lot of hard work, effort, or systematic labor to achieve a specific goal or to expose something hidden.
చేపపిల్లకి ఈత నేర్పాలా?
chepapillaki ita nerpala?
Do you need to teach a baby fish how to swim?
This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone is trying to teach a skill to a person who is already naturally gifted or genetically predisposed to it. It implies that certain talents are inherent and do not require external instruction.
బురద గుంటలో పంది
burada guntalo pandi
Like a pig in the mire.
This expression is used to describe someone who is in their element or perfectly happy in a situation that others might find dirty, messy, or unpleasant. It can also refer to a person who is lazy and refuses to leave a stagnant or bad situation because they find it comfortable.