Another common Egyptian expression is "a boatman’s invitation" ('"ozoomit marakbiya"). It's used when someone is invited out of courtesy rather than actual desire, based on the idea of a fisherman out at sea inviting a person on the distant shore to join them for lunch.

El Naga's selection is just a drop in the ocean of colloquial expressions common to Egypt and the Arab world. She is now working on a new series to uncover contradictions in Egyptian culture. One illustration shows a young man in a ripped t-shirt, selling branded perfumes from a tray balanced on his head. "I just feel like there's so much to explore," she says.

This article is available in French on Middle East Eye French edition.