In Russia, caustic, satirical speech was called the "salty word." About dirty tricks, arranged by someone, they say: "Annoyed such-and-such." It was strewed onto wounds for cleansing (its antiseptic properties have long been known). From here came the proverbs and sayings about salt for wounds. Sometimes she rubbed the newborn.
Hospitality
When someone returned home, not having received the promise, they said, "he went without a slurp of sorrow." Serving guests unsalted food was considered almost an insult. And vice versa, dear guests were met with a loaf and a salt shaker at the doorstep.
About hospitable people they said "hospitable people", "hospitable land." Maybe that's why there are such proverbs about salt:
- Old bread and salt is not forgotten.
- Eat bread and salt, and cut the truth.
They said about a poor family: "They salt bread with tears." This meant a lack of money. About the rich: "They live well, they chew bread and salt."
Interesting, but it was believed that the cook in love would surely oversalt the food.
- Food appeared on the salt table - the cook, noble, fell in love deeply.
- To a loving cook, everything seems bland.
Proverbs about salt and its value
It takes some time to get to know a person. In such cases, they say that with him "you need to eat a pound of salt." This is considered a guarantee of strong friendship. In the East, there is the concept of "salt agreement." At its conclusion, the parties together ate food in a sign that they would observe the terms of the agreement piously.
Although this substance on earth is enough for everyone, nonetheless, “salt wars” were waged. In ancient China, only gold was more expensive than it.
In Rome, warriors received a "solarium" - a monetary allowance for the ambassador of food. In some countries, this word has become akin to the expression “wages”.
When one of the people sitting at the table scattered a salt shaker in a peasant family, he immediately received a spoon in the forehead from the family father. Hence the saying about salt: "Lack of salt on the table, salt on the head." For uneconomical spending it could be punished. Interestingly, many languages have similar proverbs. About salt, there are many sayings symbolizing wisdom.
Expression of human qualities
Diligence, dedication and knowledge are reflected in such sayings:
- The salt of the earth in the sweat of a plowman, the blood of warriors and the tears of widows.
- Our guys are strong kneading and cool ambassador.
- The salt of life appears on the gray hairs of the elderly.
Proverbs about salt reflect both its value in human life, and the value of insight, life experience, which it symbolizes. No matter what heights the society has reached, its value is eternal both in the literal and figurative sense.