«كُل شِيءْ يِجِي مِنِ الصِّعِيدْ مِلِيحْ إِلَّا رْجَالْهَا وِالرِّيحْ»

The saying grants broad approval to everything that comes from Upper Egypt, then makes two exceptions: its men and the southern wind. These exceptions name particular points of objection rather than rejecting the region as a whole.

The men are faulted for a harsh manner in dealings, presented as a drawback of the people. The wind is the breeze from the south, regarded as unpleasant, so the term concerns wind direction rather than weather in general.

Use this saying when someone praises everything from a place but wants to single out two complaints: the harsh dealings attributed to its men and the unpleasant southern wind. It explains those specific points and should not be stretched to judge every resident or the area as a whole.