వంగతోట వానికి కనుగ్రుడ్డి, ఆకుతోట వానికి చెవుడు.
vangatota vaniki kanugruddi, akutota vaniki chevudu.
The eggplant gardener is blind, the betel leaf gardener is deaf.
This proverb describes the behavior of sellers who selectively ignore customers to get a better price. An eggplant gardener pretends not to see the customer to avoid bargaining, while a betel leaf gardener pretends not to hear them for the same reason. It is used to describe people who feign disability or ignorance for their own profit or convenience.
Related Phrases
వంగతోటవానికి కని గుడ్డు, ఆకుతోటవానికి విని చెవుడు.
vangatotavaniki kani guddu, akutotavaniki vini chevudu.
The brinjal gardener is blind, though he sees; the betel gardener is deaf, though he hears. In the first case, the gardener on being asked to give brinjals pretends he cannot find any; in the second case, the gardener when called to by some one outside the garden for betel pretends he cannot hear.—(Brah- mans and some high caste Sûdras are forbidden by their Sâstras to enter a betel garden). None so deaf as he that won't hear. (French.)
This proverb describes professional biases and intentional ignorance. A brinjal gardener ignores the ripeness or pests they see to suit their convenience, and a betel leaf gardener (who needs silence for the delicate plants) pretends not to hear others. It is used when someone deliberately ignores obvious facts or calls to action for their own benefit.
* Panadera erades antes, aunque ahora traeis guantes. † Il n'est pire sourd que celui qui ne veut pas entendre.
ఎక్కడనయినా బావా అనవచ్చునుగాని, వంగతోట వద్ద బావా అనగూడదు.
ekkadanayina bava anavachchunugani, vangatota vadda bava anagudadu.
Call me brother-in-law any where but at the Brinjal garden. Unwillingness to acknowledge relationship when it would cost anything.
This proverb highlights the importance of context and boundaries. While a relationship might be informal and friendly (calling someone 'Bava'), using that intimacy in a place where it could lead to suspicion or theft (like a garden where one might steal produce) is unwise. It warns that certain behaviors, though generally acceptable, are inappropriate in specific sensitive situations.
వంగతోటలో గ్రుడ్డివాని భాగవతం వలె
vangatotalo gruddivani bhagavatam vale
Like a blind man's performance of Bhagavatam in a brinjal patch.
This expression describes a situation where someone performs an action in an entirely inappropriate or damaging environment, resulting in unintended destruction. In the proverb, a blind person performing a dance or play (Bhagavatam) in a field of brittle brinjal (eggplant) plants would inadvertently crush the crop. It is used to mock someone who acts without considering their surroundings or someone whose clumsy efforts cause more harm than good.
వంగతోటకాడ మాత్రం వదిన అని అనవద్దు అన్నట్లు.
vangatotakada matram vadina ani anavaddu annatlu.
Like saying, 'Only in the brinjal field, don't call me sister-in-law.'
This proverb describes a person's hypocritical or opportunistic behavior. It refers to a situation where someone wants to maintain a formal or distant relationship in public or during a specific task to avoid sharing benefits or to hide a relationship, while being friendly elsewhere. It is often used to mock someone who pretends not to know someone else when it is convenient for them.
కనిగ్రుడ్డి, విని చెవుడు
kanigruddi, vini chevudu
See and be blind, hear and be deaf
This expression describes a situation where someone deliberately ignores or overlooks something they have clearly seen or heard. It is used to suggest that sometimes it is wiser or necessary to remain indifferent or silent despite being fully aware of the facts, often to avoid trouble or maintain peace.
వంగిన వాని కింద మరీ వంగితే, పట్టెడలు తగులుతాయి.
vangina vani kinda mari vangite, pattedalu tagulutayi.
If you bend even lower under someone who is already bent, your joints will be hit.
This proverb warns against excessive submissiveness or trying to be overly humble with someone who is already yielding. It implies that being too accommodating or sycophantic can lead to unnecessary trouble or physical/metaphorical injury. It is used to advise people to maintain their dignity and boundaries.
వంగతోటకాడ మాత్రం వదినా అనవద్దు అన్నట్లు
vangatotakada matram vadina anavaddu annatlu
Just don't call me sister-in-law at the brinjal field.
This expression is used to describe hypocritical or opportunistic behavior where someone wants to maintain a formal or respectful relationship in public, but wants to ignore those boundaries or rules when there is a personal gain involved (like stealing brinjals from the field). It highlights the irony of someone setting convenient conditions for their morality.
తీటగలవానికి, తోటగలవానికి తీరిక ఉండదు.
titagalavaniki, totagalavaniki tirika undadu.
A person with an itch and a person with a garden never have any leisure.
This proverb highlights that certain people are always busy. A person with a physical itch is constantly occupied scratching it, while a gardener is perpetually busy tending to plants. In a broader sense, it refers to people who either have constant problems to fix or those who are so dedicated to their work/hobbies that they never find free time.
ఎక్కడయినా బావ అనుగాని, వంగతోటలో బావ అనకు
ekkadayina bava anugani, vangatotalo bava anaku
Call me brother-in-law anywhere, but do not call me brother-in-law in the brinjal garden
This proverb highlights hypocrisy or situational convenience. It refers to someone who wants to maintain a relationship or friendship in public but refuses to acknowledge it when there is work to be done or when their personal interests (like guarding a harvest) are at stake. It is used to describe people who are friendly only when it doesn't cost them anything.
పుట్టిన వానికి తమ్ముడు, పుట్టే వానికి అన్న
puttina vaniki tammudu, putte vaniki anna
The younger brother of him who is born, the elder brother of him who is about to be born. Said jokingly of a dwarf.
This proverb describes someone who is in a middle position or a mediator. It refers to a person who has experienced both sides of a situation, making them versatile or uniquely positioned between two generations or two different states of being.