gahnknadz tohghoum eh, bahrgadz soghoum eh

This proverb has a real bite to it. It points out the mentality of a treacherous person. In public, the perfidious friend seems to be very cowardly, timid, or fearful. But, when unseen, the same person is very shrewdly calculating how to undo his friend or rival. The contrast between tohghoum -shivering like a fearful person- and soghoum which means slithering like a snake makes the point of the saying. In public the treacherous person seems weak and frightened, but this is only a ruse to mask his treacherous personality. For in private , he stakes his prey like a snake with stealth and cunning waiting for an opportune strike.

Another meaning is the following. While standing, he shivers and in bed, he slithers meaning he is a coward when standing and in bed.

Another Armenian proverb with a slightly different meaning is “When he sees the water, he becomes a fish and when he sees a hole, he becomes a mouse – chouruh dehsnah tzoug guh tahrnah, dzahguh dessnah moug guhlah. Selfish people have no spine. They can change their persona at will for personal advantage.