At the risk of over simplifying things a wind from the West is a Westerly. If you take off into wind you would face West, and if available use a Westerly Runway if in an aeroplane (its a bit easier for us helicopter pilots because we can usually find a way to take into the wind no matter which way it is coming from).
Once you know that these things work like this I don't thinks its exactly a safety issue if some tells you the wind is Southerly (from 180 degrees or south) and you then know you need to aim to land into wind facing approximately south when you do so.
HTH
Gary