ఉపాధ్యాయులు ఏమి చేస్తున్నాడంటే, అబద్ధాలు వ్రాసి దిద్దుకుంటున్నాడు అన్నాడట.

upadhyayulu emi chestunnadante, abaddhalu vrasi diddukuntunnadu annadata.

Translation

When asked what the school master was doing, one replied " he is correcting the mistakes he has made." A bad workman.

Meaning

This proverb is used to mock someone who engages in futile, self-created work just to appear busy or productive. It describes a situation where a person creates their own problems or errors only to spend time fixing them, resulting in no actual progress or value. It is often applied to bureaucrats or professionals who indulge in unnecessary paperwork or circular logic.

Related Phrases

When they asked what idle Pâpa Râzu was about, they were told that he was carving lines on a hare's horn.

This expression is used to describe a person who is engaged in completely useless, absurd, or impossible tasks because they have nothing productive to do. Since rabbits do not have horns, 'drawing lines on a rabbit's horn' signifies wasting time on non-existent or futile activities.

When asked what the teacher was saying, he replied that the teacher was writing lies and correcting them.

This expression is used to describe a situation where someone is engaged in a pointless, self-serving, or dishonest activity. It specifically mocks people who create their own problems (or falsehoods) just to appear busy or virtuous by fixing them. It highlights the absurdity of circular logic or redundant, deceptive work.

When asked what Tatacharyulu is doing, he is making mistakes and then correcting them.

This expression is used to describe someone who repeats the same mistakes over and over, or someone who engages in unproductive work that involves creating a problem just to fix it. It highlights a cycle of useless effort or a lack of real progress.

When an ugly person was asked what they were doing, they said, 'I am mocking the beautiful ones.'

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person who lacks talent, skill, or merit criticizes or mocks those who are superior or successful. It highlights the irony of someone with significant flaws trying to find faults in others who are far better than themselves, often out of jealousy or insecurity.

When asked what idle Paparaju is doing, he is carving designs on a rabbit's horn.

This proverb is used to describe a person who, having no useful work to do, engages in completely futile, impossible, or nonsensical tasks. Since rabbits do not have horns, 'carving designs on a rabbit's horn' signifies wasting time on something that doesn't exist or doesn't matter.

When asked 'What are you doing?', he replied, 'I am spilling it and then picking it up'.

This proverb is used to describe someone who engages in useless, counterproductive, or repetitive work that yields no results. It highlights the behavior of creating a problem just to solve it, or performing tasks that are essentially a waste of time and effort.

To hide one lie a thousand lies are wanted. One lie makes many. One lie draws ten after it. [Iralan.]

This proverb highlights the compounding nature of dishonesty. Once a person tells a single lie, they are often forced to create a complex web of additional falsehoods to maintain the original deception and prevent it from being discovered.

While everything was already present, the teacher's wife reached puberty.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone adds an unnecessary or poorly timed burden to an already chaotic or difficult situation. It refers to a person who creates extra trouble or demands attention for something insignificant (or poorly timed) when there are already plenty of other problems to deal with.

When asked what the teacher is doing, they said he is correcting the mistakes he wrote himself.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone who is supposed to be an expert or a guide makes basic mistakes and spends their time fixing their own errors instead of helping others. It satirizes incompetence in positions of authority or expertise.

When one enquired what the ugly man was doing, [he was told that] he was counting all the good looking people. An ugly person finds fault with the looks of others. The kiln calls the oven burnt house. The shovel makes game of the poker. (French.)† The pan says to the pot " keep off or you'll smutch me." (Italian.)

This proverb is used to describe someone who, instead of focusing on their own shortcomings or fixing their own problems, spends all their time judging, critiquing, or obsessing over the qualities and successes of others. It highlights the irony of being preoccupied with things one lacks.

* Adonde vas, mal ? Adonde mas hay. † La pèle se moque du fourgon. ‡ La padella dice al pajuolo, Fatti in la che tu me tigni,