- English translation
You gain nothing from Upper Egyptians, any more than a man clipping dogs gets wool.
- Literal wording
Around the Saʿīdīs there is no benefit, nor do the shearers of dogs have wool.
- Meaning and lesson
The proverb claims that staying near or dealing with the Saʿāyda, Upper Egyptians, brings no profit, just as clipping a dog never yields fleece. The neutral regional name becomes a target of ridicule, paired with an image of inherently pointless labor, so any hoped-for return is presented as impossible.
Beyond its target, the second half captures a general idea: some sources simply cannot supply what you want from them, however hard you work. The speaker uses this logic to brand a whole regional population as worthless company, which makes the saying a vehicle for prejudice rather than an observation or fair description of any group.
- When it is used
A scornful jibe in which Delta and town speakers dismissed Upper Egyptians as people from whom nothing good could be gained, comparing that hope to shearing dogs for wool, an image echoed in related Egyptian sayings. Quote it only when discussing regional stereotyping, never as neutral advice.
- Community
- Townspeople and Lower Egyptian (Delta) speakers, aimed at people of Upper Egypt (the Saʿīd)
- Region
- Egypt
- Register
- Colloquial Egyptian Arabic; mocking and derogatory
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: You gain nothing from Upper Egyptians, any more than a man clipping dogs gets wool.