వీధిలో చెప్పుతో కొట్టి ఇంట్లో కాళ్ళు పట్టుకున్నట్లు.

vidhilo chepputo kotti intlo kallu pattukunnatlu.

Translation

Like hitting someone with a slipper in the street and then holding their feet inside the house.

Meaning

This expression describes a hypocritical or manipulative behavior where someone publicly insults or humiliates another person but privately seeks their forgiveness or favor. It is used to point out the insincerity of someone who tries to make amends secretly after causing a major public offense.

Related Phrases

Kicking [a man ] when out of doors and falling at his feet in the house. Disgracing him in public and cringing to him in private.

This expression describes a hypocritical or manipulative behavior where someone insults or harms a person in public (or treats them poorly elsewhere) and then tries to act humble or seek forgiveness in private. It refers to a person who tries to cover up their public misdeeds with private apologies or subservience.

Cranes in the sky street, thieves in the market street.

This expression is used to describe things that are found in their natural or expected habitat. Just as it is natural to see birds flying in the sky, it is common to find pickpockets or dishonest people in crowded marketplaces. It serves as a reminder to be cautious in specific environments where certain risks are inherent.

Like hitting someone with a stone who previously hit you with butter.

This proverb is used to describe an act of extreme ingratitude or an unfair, harsh reaction to a kind gesture. It refers to a situation where a person responds to someone's gentleness or favor with cruelty or hostility.

He got it done in the street and kept it in the house.

This expression is used to describe someone who behaves recklessly or creates a mess/controversy in public, only to have to deal with the consequences and burdens within their own home. It often refers to someone who invites trouble through public actions and then has to live with the resulting problems privately.

Like hitting someone with a slipper and then placing a Shatagopam on their head.

This proverb describes a situation where someone performs a deeply insulting or harmful act and then follows it with a mock gesture of respect or a superficial blessing. It is used to characterize hypocrisy or a deceptive attempt to cover up a grave insult with a hollow holy gesture.

Fasting at home, but dressing up in the street.

This proverb describes a person who pretends to be wealthy and prosperous in public (by wearing expensive clothes or 'dastu') while suffering from poverty and hunger (fasting or 'pastu') in private. It is used to mock vanity, false pride, or the act of maintaining appearances despite financial hardship.

Like hitting with a slipper wrapped in a silk cloth

This expression describes a situation where someone is insulted or criticized in a very polite, sophisticated, or subtle manner. It refers to a 'veiled attack' where the delivery is soft (the silk), but the impact or underlying message is harsh and humiliating (the slipper).

Like kicking someone outside and then holding their feet inside the house

This expression describes a person's hypocritical or cowardly behavior where they behave aggressively or disrespectfully in public, but act submissive or apologetic in private. It refers to a situation where someone harms another person and later tries to please them for selfish reasons or out of fear.

Like paying money to get beaten with a slipper.

This expression describes a situation where someone spends their own money or resources only to end up in trouble, humiliation, or a disadvantageous position. It is used when a self-inflicted problem arises from one's own investment or effort.

Like catching the legs of a donkey because an ox is kicking.

This proverb is used to describe a situation where someone, in an attempt to escape one problem or danger, seeks help from an even worse or more unreliable source. It highlights the foolishness of choosing a remedy that is as bad as or worse than the original trouble.