ఉత్తరలో ఊడ్చేకంటే, గట్ల మీద కూర్చుని ఏడ్చేది మేలు

This proverb highlights practical caution and situational awareness. A crying person often wipes their nose or eyes with their left hand, potentially splashing tears or mucus on those nearby. Similarly, a tailor's right hand moves vigorously while sewing (traditionally with a needle or pulling thread), risking an accidental poke or hit to someone sitting too close. It is used to advise people to stay away from positions where they might inadvertently get hurt or soiled by someone else's actions.

This expression describes a person who is extremely lazy or an opportunist who overstays their welcome. It refers to someone who starts eating when one meal begins and continues sitting there until the next meal starts, essentially doing nothing but eating and lingering for a very long time.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a person constantly complains or creates problems to the point where others become indifferent to their plight. It suggests that if someone is always in trouble or always acting like a victim, they eventually lose the sympathy and attention of those around them.

This proverb is used to highlight that if someone with a severe handicap or a major problem can succeed, then someone with a minor flaw or less significant hurdle can surely succeed as well. It encourages resilience by putting problems into perspective.

This proverb emphasizes quality and comfort over quantity. Just as wet grain becomes heavy and burdensome to carry, taking on a large task under difficult conditions is often worse than doing a smaller, more manageable task with ease. It is used to suggest that one should prefer a simpler, stress-free path over a large, problematic endeavor.

This proverb describes people who, after being granted a small favor or a foot in the door, gradually demand more or take complete control. It is used to warn about opportunistic people who exploit initial kindness to gain a larger foothold.

In agriculture, this proverb highlights the importance of timely rain. 'Edumu' and 'Muttumu' are traditional units of measurement. It means that it is better to have a smaller, healthy harvest resulting from moisture/rain (even if slightly over-saturated) than to hope for a larger harvest that eventually withers away due to dry conditions or drought. It emphasizes that basic sustenance from reliable conditions is superior to the promise of abundance under failing conditions.

This proverb is used to emphasize that while you can scold or punish someone for their mistakes, you should never deprive them of their livelihood or their means of survival. 'Hitting on the stomach' is a metaphor for taking away someone's source of income or food.

This expression is used to describe an extremely rapid or sudden loss, or a situation where something disappears or is destroyed in the blink of an eye. It highlights instability and the unpredictability of certain circumstances where even a brief moment of relaxation can lead to a total loss.

This proverb emphasizes the unique importance of a mother's care and nurturing. It suggests that even the smallest presence of a mother is more valuable for a child's upbringing and emotional security than the presence of a powerful or physically strong father.