IdiomFood & Drink
Hindi
Hindiअंगूर खट्टे हैं (Angoor khatte hain)
Meaning: To scorn what you secretly want but cannot have.
Literally: The grapes are sour
Example: “टीम में जगह नहीं मिली तो कहता है खेल ही बेकार है; अंगूर खट्टे हैं।” — He didn't make the team and now says the sport is stupid: sour grapes.
English equivalent: Sour grapes
Equivalents in other languages
Swedish: surt sa räven Literally: Sour said the fox
English: sour grapes
Origin: From Aesop's fable of the fox and the grapes: unable to reach the grapes, the fox declares them sour anyway. Hindi says angūr khaṭṭe haiṉ (the grapes are sour) of someone who scorns what they cannot have, as English says "sour grapes."
More Hindi idioms
- आ बैल मुझे मार (Ā bail mujhe mār) To deliberately invite trouble upon yourself.
- नाक में दम करना (naak mein dam karna) To harass or pester relentlessly.
- नाक रगड़ना (nāk ragaṛnā) To grovel and beg humbly.
- आसमान सिर पर उठाना (aasmaan sir par uthaana) To raise a huge uproar.
- ऊँट के मुँह में जीरा (Ūṅṭ ke muṅh meṅ jīrā) A laughably tiny amount for something that needs much more.
- बंदर क्या जाने अदरक का स्वाद (bandar kya jaane adrak ka svaad) An ignorant person can't appreciate something refined.
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