- English translation
As grudging as a perfume seller's hello to a man who sells salted fish.
- Literal wording
Like the greeting of the rosewater seller to the salted-fish seller.
- Meaning and lesson
The image sets a seller of rosewater and perfumes beside a seller of fesikh, a pungent salted fish. The perfumer still offers a greeting, but only as much as courtesy strictly demands, keeping his distance and leaving as soon as he can.
Applied to people, the saying marks a hello that is technically polite yet plainly unwilling: someone turns aside, says the bare minimum, and makes their reluctance to linger obvious. It describes a stiff, minimal greeting, not open hostility or a refusal to greet.
- When it is used
Use it to comment on a greeting that is dutiful but cold, such as someone who nods, mutters the required words, and quickly turns away. It can describe a strained encounter between people who keep their distance or would rather avoid each other.
- Region
- Egypt
- Register
- Colloquial Egyptian Arabic
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: As grudging as a perfume seller's hello to a man who sells salted fish.