Who are the salt of the Earth?

[bozo de niro]

when i first heard the idiom, it was attached to Russia and perhaps more so to Ukraine.

[bil...@shaw.ca]

On Friday, September 30, 2022 at 5:46:44 PM UTC-7, bosod...@gmail.com wrote:

> when i first heard the idiom, it was attached to Russia and perhaps more so to Ukraine.

When did you first hear it, two weeks ago? And what did you think it meant?

It's from the Sermon on the Mount, delivered by Jesus (the Bible says), who was telling
the shepherds and fishermen and labourers in his audience that they were worthy and
important: "the salt of the earth".

It is also the name of a 1954 movie that amounts to a strong statement countering
the hate and fear being spread at the time by the infamous Joe McCarthy. Many of
the people involved in making the movie had been blacklisted in Hollywood.

bill

[occam]

On 01/10/2022 02:46, bozo de niro wrote:
> when i first heard the idiom, it was attached to Russia and perhaps more so to Ukraine.

Salt of the earth are peppered all over the world. Russia, Ukraine and
even in bozoland.

[Peter T. Daniels]

You may also need to explain to him that salt is a vital component of
the diet of mammals (and probably other critters), and fuels the economy
of places with "salt flats" (mentioned just yesterday in the "shoals" thread)
-- and introduce him to the concept of "salt licks."

[Madhu]

* "Peter T. Daniels" <1f3a5001-8a69-405c...@googlegroups.com> :
Wrote on Sat, 1 Oct 2022 07:21:27 -0700 (PDT):

Recently I heard it suggested that the sermon's salt referred not to
taste but to the use of [deadsea] salt in some sort of ("industrial"
like) process, of extracting something or maybe preservation. The loss
of saltiness would impact the effectiveness of that process and make it
useless.

(Unfortunately I wasn't paying attention and I can't think where I heard
it. Perhaps it was the local pastor)

[CDB]

On 10/2/2022 10:20 AM, Madhu wrote:
> "Peter T. Daniels" wrote:

They must not have read the rest of the passage: "but if the salt have
lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good
for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

The word in the text is "mOranthEi" a form of "MOrainO", to become
tastless.

We cast a lot of salt on the roads in winter, around here; I don't know
how its savour is holding up, but the asphalt is getting pretty tender.

[Ken Blake]

It's not well-known except by people of that political persuasion but
I remember seeing it many years ago. Yes, it was a strong statement,
but it was not a well-made movie in my view.

[Peter T. Daniels]

But Mr. James 1611 mentions "salt has lost its savor," and "savor" doesn't
seem to have to do with an industrial process.

Also, the Dead Sea doesn't involve just NaCl, but all sorts of stuff
that you probably don't want to ingest.

[bruce bowser]

On Friday, September 30, 2022 at 8:46:44 PM UTC-4, bosod...@gmail.com wrote:
> when i first heard the idiom, it was attached to Russia and perhaps more so to Ukraine.

Merriam-Webster says:
Definition of the salt of the earth
: a very good and honest person or group of people These folks are the salt of the earth.

[bozo de niro]

You think my education and acculturation is only two weeks old? It's six MONTHS!