వాడు చెడ్డాడు తాగుబోతు, నాకు ఒక ముంతెడు కల్లు పొయ్యి అన్నాడట.

vadu cheddadu tagubotu, naku oka muntedu kallu poyyi annadata.

Translation

Hang the drunkard! Pour me out a potful of toddy.

Meaning

This expression is used to describe a situation where a person who is already in a bad or ruined state continues to indulge in the very same behavior that caused their downfall, or asks for more of the thing that harmed them. It highlights a lack of remorse or failure to learn from one's mistakes.

Related Phrases

When one said "Kādu, Kādu" the other said "Nādi, Nādi."

This proverb describes a situation where someone persistently tries to claim ownership or credit for something even after being explicitly told it doesn't belong to them or is incorrect. It is used to mock people who are shamelessly stubborn or opportunistic despite being rejected.

Kādu in Telugu means " it is not," "no;" in Tamil it signifies " the ear." A Telugu man on one occasion accidentally stuck the barb of his spear into a Tamilian's ear, on which the latter cried out "Kādu! Kādu!" ( My ear! my ear! ) The Telugu man thinking he meant to say " Not yours, not yours" pulled at the spear all the harder, saying "Nādi! Nādi!" (It's mine! it's mine!). Said to a man who is obstinate in argument.

The woman lost her reputation for three-fourths, while the barber lost his for one-fourth.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where two parties are involved in a shameful or failed act, but they argue over who is more at fault or who lost more dignity. It highlights the irony of trying to claim moral superiority when both parties are already compromised. It is often used to mock people who bicker over trivial differences in their shared failures.

Speak no evil, hear no evil, see no evil

This is the Telugu version of the famous 'Three Wise Monkeys' principle. It serves as an ethical maxim advising people to lead a virtuous life by avoiding participation in, or exposure to, bad influences, gossip, and negativity.

Saliva-touched food has no defect; a drunkard has no shame.

This proverb highlights two things: first, that for someone who is hungry or in certain casual contexts, the ritual impurity of saliva-touched food is often ignored. Second, and more primarily, it serves as a social commentary that a person under the influence of alcohol loses their sense of social dignity and moral inhibition.

When one says 'Subbakka, there is no beginning/stock,' the other says 'I want a vessel full, Peddakka.'

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone makes a demand or a request without understanding that the basic requirements or resources are completely unavailable. It highlights a lack of common sense or the absurdity of asking for a specific quantity when there is nothing to start with in the first place.

By being stubborn, the son-in-law lost; by not eating, the daughter suffered.

This proverb describes a situation where people harm themselves more than others through their stubbornness or ego. A son-in-law staying away out of anger loses the hospitality/respect he would have received, and a daughter refusing food to protest only ends up hungry and weak. It is used to advise against cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.

The widow lost three quarters of a pagoda, the man lost a quarter of a pagoda.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where a collaboration or a deal fails, and one party suffers a much greater loss or humiliation than the other, even though both were involved in the same act. It highlights disproportionate consequences in shared failures.

When a man asked a widow to lend him a pagoda, she said she would only do so on his paying her twenty-five per cent. discount. He complied, but never repaid the principal.

A drunkard seeks company.

This expression refers to how people with bad habits or those doing something wrong often try to influence others to join them so they don't feel isolated or guilty. It is used to warn someone that being around a person with negative traits might result in being pulled into the same habits.

Is this miserable wretched woman to wear a veil?

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone has already lost their reputation or is in a completely compromised position, and then tries to hide or be modest about minor things. It suggests that when the worst has already happened or been exposed, trivial attempts to maintain dignity or secrecy are hypocritical or pointless.

She said 'they have fallen'.

This phrase is used to describe a person who tries to cover up their failure or misfortune by acting as if it was their original intention or a deliberate choice. It originates from a story where a person falls down and, to avoid embarrassment, claims they intended to lie down.