Friday March 29th, 2024
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Diffusing Mashakil

Let's face it. We're all going to get into a fight at some point. Here are the five top sayings that will help you diffuse any sticky situation in Egypt.

Staff Writer

Diffusing Mashakil

Every Egyptian has at some point been faced with a situation that could lead to violence. If you own a car, you probably know what we mean, as any little scratch or dent is noteworthy enough to stop the car and cause a scene.

We seem to be a country of short fuses and, no matter how hard you try, someday it will happen to you. In the event that this occurs, we here at CairoScene have compiled the top five Arabic sayings that many Egyptians rely on to diffuse a fight.

Fadaak

This is a good saying to use if you ever find yourself in a significant car accident, but are able to walk away. It literally means your car is fucked, but it's all good because you're able to walk away with little to no injuries.

Salli 3al Nabi

This saying can be used to diffuse just about any situation with any Muslim looking to cave your face in. It is meant to be a reminder of Islam and how fighting and cursing is frowned upon and that you should stop. You will know if you have diffused the situation if the person replies 3aleya el salat wel salam.

Gat Salima

This is the best saying for the times when someone gets furious over a very minor situation. For example, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN YOU HAVE 15 ITEMS IN YOUR SHOPPING CART?! THIS IS AN EXPRESS LINE FOR 10 ITEMS MAXIUMUM!” This is then followed by a lot of huffing, puffing and swearing for no real reason. In this situation, gat salima is perfect, because it literally means nothing major has happened and, with a bit of perspective, hot heads usually cool down.

Estahda be Allah

We are a religious country so, of course, many of our sayings are Allah-based. This is great saying when all is lost. Imagine your car is destroyed or that someone just accidentally burned your house down making ta3meya in oil that was just too hot. Hopefully, this never happens but if it does and the owner is looking to fight, just pull out Estahda be Allah. This literally means just relax and turn to God. Fighting won't solve your problem when all is lost, only Allah can.

3adiha, El Nas Leba3diha

This is a great one to use whenever a would be assailant starts getting angry over something as minimal as taking a bite out of his batates sandwich. In similar cases, use 3adiha el nas leba3diha, which literally means let it pass, because people should be better with each other. The real kicker is that this line rhymes and anytime you make a saying rhyme, you get an instant high five.

Sometimes there will be nothing you can say to stop a fight from happening. In this case, we suggest that you aim for the nose. Usually people stop fighting when blood is spurting out of their face like a scene from a Tarantino movie.