сыпать соль на рану (sypat' sol' na ranu)

Meaning: To deliberately make someone's suffering worse by adding mockery or fresh insult to their misfortune.

Language: Russian

Literally: to pour salt on a wound

Category: Body & Senses

Origin: The image is literal: salt on an open wound causes acute pain. The phrase transfers this physical torment to emotional cruelty.

More idioms — Body & Senses

проверять на вшивость (proveryat' na shivost') — To scrutinize or investigate someone closely to uncover hidden faults or problems; to vet…
положа руку на сердце (polozhá ruku na sérdtse) — Speaking with complete sincerity and honesty.
в ус не дуть (v us ne dut') — To show complete indifference or not to care at all.
пудрить мозги (pudrit' mozgi) — To mislead someone with false or nonsensical talk; to deceive or confuse deliberately.
сила есть — ума не надо (sila yest — uma ne nado) — a person who is physically strong but intellectually weak or stupid.
гнать в три шеи (gnat' v tri shei) — To expel or drive someone away forcefully and without ceremony.

через огонь, воду и медные трубы (cherez ogon', vodu i mednye truby) — To endure any hardship or ordeal without hesitation; to go through anything for someone o…
книга за семью печатями (kniga za sem'yu pechatyami) — Something utterly mysterious and incomprehensible; a complete enigma.
в Тулу со своим самоваром (v Tulu so svoim samovarom) — To do something pointless or wasteful; to bring something unnecessary or redundant to a p…
за тридевять земель (za tridevyat' zemel') — An extremely distant, remote place; somewhere impossibly far away.
в долгах как в шелках (v dolgakh kak v shelkakh) — To be deeply and hopelessly in debt.
до свадьбы заживёт (do svad'by zazhivyot) — A minor injury or problem will resolve itself naturally and quickly.

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