ఉమ్మడికి బడుగు, సొంతానికి పిడుగు

ummadiki badugu, sontaniki pidugu

Translation

Weak for common work, a thunderbolt for personal work.

Meaning

This proverb describes a person who is lazy, slow, or indifferent when it comes to shared or community tasks, but displays immense energy, speed, and strength when working on their own personal interests. It is used to criticize selfishness or lack of accountability in collective efforts.

Related Phrases

Weak for work, a thunderbolt for food

This expression is used to describe a lazy person who avoids physical labor or responsibilities by pretending to be weak or tired, but shows immense energy and appetite when it comes to eating. It is often used sarcastically to criticize someone's lack of productivity compared to their consumption.

An elephant for personal use, but a corpse for shared use.

This proverb describes a selfish attitude where an individual takes great care of their own property (treating it like a precious elephant), but neglects or treats shared/collective property with total disregard (like a worthless corpse). It is used to criticize people who lack a sense of responsibility toward public or joint assets.

A corpse for work, an elephant for food

This expression is used to describe a lazy person who shows no energy or interest when it comes to doing work (acting like a lifeless corpse), but displays immense appetite and enthusiasm when it is time to eat (acting like a hungry elephant).

If you hold an umbrella, can it stop a lightning strike?

This proverb is used to highlight the inadequacy of small or trivial efforts when facing a major disaster or an overwhelming force. It suggests that certain problems are so massive that common defensive measures are completely useless against them.

A thunderbolt for personal work, a weakling for collective work.

This proverb describes a person who is extremely energetic and hardworking when it comes to their own personal tasks (like a thunderbolt), but becomes lazy, weak, or uninterested when it comes to shared or community responsibilities. It is used to critique selfishness and lack of cooperation in teamwork.

A thunderbolt for food, a weakling for work.

This proverb is used to describe a lazy person who has a massive appetite and eats very quickly (like a thunderbolt), but becomes tired, weak, or avoids effort when it is time to work. It highlights the irony of someone being energetic about consumption but lethargic about contribution.

Will an umbrella stop a thunderbolt?

This expression is used to highlight the futility of using weak or insignificant defenses against a massive, overwhelming force or a major disaster. It suggests that certain problems are too big to be solved by trivial means.

A thunderbolt without rain. A useless thing.

This expression is used to describe a situation where there is a lot of noise, threats, or hype without any actual action or result. It refers to someone who makes big claims or creates a commotion but fails to deliver anything substantial.

Is holding an umbrella an obstacle to a lightning bolt?

This expression is used to describe a situation where a small or inadequate solution is proposed for a massive, unstoppable problem. It highlights the futility of using weak defenses against powerful forces or inevitable consequences.

Like a thunderbolt falling the moment one steps in.

This expression is used to describe an unfortunate coincidence where a disaster or a piece of very bad news occurs immediately after someone's arrival. It is often used to imply that a person's entry brought bad luck or that they arrived at an extremely ill-fated moment.