విస్తళ్లు ఎత్తమంటే, భోజనం చేసినవారు ఎంతమంది అని అడిగినట్లు.
vistallu ettamante, bhojanam chesinavaru entamandi ani adiginatlu.
When told to remove the leaves, he asked how many people had dined. An impertinent question.
This proverb describes a person who tries to avoid work or a simple task by asking unnecessary, irrelevant questions to delay or shirk their responsibility. It is used when someone makes a simple job seem complicated to get out of doing it.
Related Phrases
విస్తళ్ళు ఎత్తమంటే, భోంచేసిన వారెందరని లెక్కబెట్టినాడట.
vistallu ettamante, bhonchesina varendarani lekkabettinadata.
When asked to clear the leaf plates, he started counting how many people had eaten.
This proverb describes a person who tries to avoid work or delay a task by engaging in irrelevant, trivial, or unnecessary calculations. It is used to mock someone who makes excuses or acts foolishly instead of simply doing the job assigned to them.
భోజనం చేసిన వానికి అన్నం పెట్టడం వేడుక, బోడి తల వాడికి తలంటడం వేడుక.
bhojanam chesina vaniki annam pettadam veduka, bodi tala vadiki talantadam veduka.
The fun of setting food before a man who has had his dinner, or of anointing a shaven head.
This proverb is used to describe redundant or useless efforts. Just as serving food to someone with a full stomach or attempting to groom a bald head provides no real benefit, performing actions where they are not needed is a waste of resources and time.
వండుతూ ఉండగా వాంతి వస్తున్నది అంటే, ఉండి భోజనం చేసి పొమ్మన్నదట
vandutu undaga vanti vastunnadi ante, undi bhojanam chesi pommannadata
When he said "[The sight of] your cooking makes me sick," she replied "Please stay and eat your dinner before you go."
This proverb is used to describe a sarcastic or ironic situation where a person's excuse to avoid a task or a place is met with an even more inconvenient or absurd demand. It highlights the lack of empathy or total misunderstanding of someone's discomfort, or a situation where someone is forced to endure exactly what they are trying to escape from.
అందరూ అందలం ఎక్కితే, మోసేవారు ఎవరు?
andaru andalam ekkite, mosevaru evaru?
If all get into the palankin, who will be the bearers ? You a lady, I a lady, who is to drive out the sow? (Ollician.)
This proverb highlights the necessity of a social hierarchy and division of labor. It implies that if everyone wants to be the leader or hold a position of comfort and authority, no one will be left to do the actual work. It is used when everyone in a group expects to be served or wants a high-status role without contributing effort.
నీ పెళ్ళాం ముండమోస్తే, నీకు ఎవరు అన్నం వండి పెడతారు అన్నాడట?
ni pellam mundamoste, niku evaru annam vandi pedataru annadata?
If your wife becomes a widow, who will cook for you ?
This proverb describes a person with a complete lack of common sense or intelligence. It highlights a logical fallacy where the speaker fails to realize that for a wife to become a widow, the husband (to whom he is speaking) must be dead first, making the question of his future meals irrelevant and absurd.
* Heden in fåuur, morgen in het graf, 7
విందు భోజనం చేస్తే, మిట్ట చేనుకు ఒడ్డు వేసినట్లుండాలి.
vindu bhojanam cheste, mitta chenuku oddu vesinatlundali.
If you eat a feast, it should be like building a boundary wall for a highland field.
This expression is used to describe eating a hearty, satisfying, and full meal. Just as a strong embankment protects a field on high ground from losing its resources, a feast should be so substantial that it leaves one feeling completely satiated and sturdy.
తేలుకు ఎవరు అపకారం చేశారు?
teluku evaru apakaram chesharu?
Who did evil to the scorpion ? Thoroughly bad by nature injuring others without provocation.
This rhetorical question is used to describe someone who is inherently malicious or harmful by nature, regardless of how they are treated. Just as a scorpion stings without provocation or reason, some people cause trouble or hurt others simply because it is in their character, not because they were wronged.
పూటలు మూడు, భోజనం ఒకటి.
putalu mudu, bhojanam okati.
Three sessions, but only one meal.
This expression is used to describe a state of extreme poverty or scarcity. It refers to a situation where despite the day having three natural meal times (morning, afternoon, and night), a person can only afford or find enough food to eat once.
చేసినచేష్టలు ఎవరూ చూడరు కాని, కోసిన ముక్కు అందరూ చూచినారట.
chesinacheshtalu evaru chudaru kani, kosina mukku andaru chuchinarata.
No one sees the actions done, but everyone sees the nose that was cut off.
This proverb is used to describe a situation where people ignore or overlook the provocations or bad deeds that led to a conflict, but are quick to criticize the final visible outcome or the retaliation. It highlights how society often judges the end result without considering the underlying causes or history of the behavior.
తేలుకు ఎవరు అపకారము చేసినారు?
teluku evaru apakaramu chesinaru?
Who has done any harm to the scorpion?
This expression is used to highlight the innate nature of some people or creatures to cause harm even without provocation. Just as a scorpion stings naturally without being provoked, some individuals exhibit malicious behavior regardless of how others treat them. It serves as a rhetorical question to suggest that bad behavior is often a result of one's character rather than a reaction to external injury.