Englishthe salt of the earth
Meaning: A very dependable and unpretentious person.
Example: “The farmers who took us in after the storm were the salt of the earth.”
Origin: Straight from the Sermon on the Mount: "Ye are the salt of the earth" (Matthew 5:13), Jesus addressing his disciples, and the English wording is a calque of the Greek text behind that verse. Chaucer already has the phrase in English by around 1386, in the Summoner's Tale. Salt's value in the ancient world runs deeper than seasoning — Roman soldiers were paid partly in salt, the root behind the English word "salary" itself — and the region the Gospel was written in sat near the real salt deposits of the Dead Sea and Mount Sodom, so the image would have carried an everyday, literal weight for its first audience as well as a spiritual one.
More English idioms
- albatross around one's neck Something or someone that is a burden and difficult to get rid of.
- armed to the teeth Well-equipped with weapons.
- go back to square one Return to the beginning.
- go back to the drawing board Return to the planning stage of a project.
- have one's back to the wall To be in a difficult or desperate situation.
- back-seat driver A person who gives driving orders when he/she is not the driver.
Explore another collection: Proverbs
Short sayings of timeless wisdom from more than 50 cultures, each with its meaning and origin.
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- All things are soon prepared in a well-ordered house. Efficient systems and discipline enable quick accomplishment of any task, large or small.
- Well-drawn wells give the sweetest water. Careful preparation and proper execution yield superior results worth the initial effort.
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