| Idiom
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English translation
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Meaning
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| inguru deela miris gaththa wage (ඉඟුරු දීලා මිරිස් ගත්තා වගේ) |
Like exchanging ginger for chilli. |
Getting rid of something bad, only to get something worse.
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| Rawulai kendai dekama beraganna bae (රැවුලයි කැඳයි දෙකම බේරගන්න බෑ) |
One cannot drink porridge without getting some on his moustache. |
A situation where two alternatives are equally Important. Similar English proverb- you cannot have the cake and eat it too.
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| Veradi gahata ketuwe (වැරදි ගහට කෙටුවේ) |
Pecked at the wrong tree. |
When someone gets into trouble trying to do something daunting.
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| Hisaradheta kotte maaru kala wagei (හිසරදේට කොට්ටේ මාරුකලා වගෙයි) |
Like changing pillows to get rid of a head-ache. |
One should try to fix a problem by finding its actual cause.
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| Gangata kepu ini wage (ගඟට කැපූ ඉනි වගේ) |
Like cutting fence posts and throwing them into the river. |
Describes some work that has been done in vain, with no returns or profit.
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| Giya loola maha ekaa lu (ගිය ලූලා මහා එකා ලු) |
The eel that escaped your hands is the biggest one. |
Describes the loss of a big opportunity.
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| Gahata poththa wagei (ගහට පොත්ත වගෙයි ) |
As close to each other as the bark is to the tree trunk. |
Describes really close friends/people.
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| Miti thenin wathura bahinava (මිටි තැනින් වතුර බහිනවා) |
Water flows down the lowest point. |
When poor and innocent people are treated badly by others.
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| Anunge magul daata thamange aadare penvanna wagei (අනුන්ගෙ මගුල්දාට තමන්ගෙ ආදරය පෙන්වන්නා වගෙයි) |
Like the one who shows his/her hospitality at someone else's wedding. |
When someone takes advantage of a particular favourable situation, and tries to take credit for it.
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| Katugaale pipunu mala wagei (කටුගාලෙ පිපුනු මල වගෙයි) |
Like the flower that blossoms among the brambles. |
Usually refers to a person who remains righteous even if he's surrounded by corrupt and immoral people.
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| Angey indan kana kanawalu (අඟේ ඉදන් කණ කනවාලු) |
To feed on the ear while sitting on the horn. |
Describes an instance where someone hurts or takes advantage of you while being by your side.
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| Mitey un kurulla arala gahey un kurulla alleemata giya wagei (මිටේ උන් කුරුල්ලා ඇරලා ගහේ උන් කුරුල්ලා ඇල්ලීමට ගියා වගෙයි) |
Like letting off the bird in hand and trying to catch the one on the tree. |
Same meaning as "a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush".
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| Oruwa peraluna pita hondai keeva wagei (ඔරුව පෙරළුණ පිට හොඳයි කීවා වගෙයි) |
Like saying the underside is better when the boat capsizes. |
When a person tries to the see the bright side of bad situation.
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| Angen atayak gannawa wagei (අඟෙන් ඇටයක් ගන්නවා වගෙයි) |
Like asking for a bone out of one's body. |
When a person is extremely reluctant to do a favour.
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| Allapu aththath nae, paya gahapu aththath nae (අල්ලපු අත්තත් නෑ, පය ගහපු අත්තත් නෑ) |
To lose both the branch he held on to, and that on which his feet rested. |
When someone tries to achieve more and ends up losing what he had in the first place.
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| Aandi hath denaage kenda haliya wagei (ආඬි හත්දෙනාගේ කැඳ හැලිය වගෙයි) |
Like the cunjee (porridge) pot of the seven Andiyas. |
A situation where everyone agrees to contribute something, but no one actually does, with everyone relying on others' contributions.
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| Balalun lavaa kos ata baawa wagei (බළලුන් ලවා කොස් ඇට බෑව්වා වගෙයි) |
Like getting cats to take roasted jak seeds out of the fire. |
When a person is used to serve the purposes of another.
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| Yakaata baya nam sohone geval hadanne hehe (යක්කාට බය නම් සොහොනේ ගෙවල් හදන්නේ නැහැ) |
Those who are afraid of the devil won't build houses on the cemetery. |
If you're afraid of something, you won't knowingly place yourself in its domain.
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