Jientje at Heaven Is In Belgium hosts A Thousand Words In Idioms wherein she asks participants to illustrate an idiom with a photo, going through the alphabet two at a time.
It was hard to chose this week because there were so many good ones for S and T. But here’s what I came up with.
Salt of the earth.
If someone is called the “salt of the earth,” that means he is “decent, dependable and unpretentious” according to this site. It probably goes back to the Biblical reference in Matthew 5:13 where Jesus told His disciples they were the “salt of the earth.” I’ve heard many possible reasons or interpretations for this metaphor in the Bible, among them:
- Salt is a preservative used to hold back corruption.
- Salt adds flavor and makes food more palatable.
- Salt is an essential element in health and nutrition.
- Salt creates or leads to thirst (this is my favorite — as Christians our lives should make others thirsty for Christ, the living water, who said, “If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.”)
Conversely, to be called “not worth your salt” is an insult. Roman soldiers were paid partly with salt, which is probably where this idea comes from.
Taking the plunge.
Jesse’s youth pastor is about to take the plunge into the dunking booth at our school’s fall festival if Jesse hits the target (which, as I recall, he did). 
According to this site the idiom means to commit yourself to doing something even if there is risk involved. I had always thought it meant jumping in wholeheartedly and enthusiastically.
You can check out Jientje’s on Wednesday for more imaginatively and illustriously illustrated idioms.
8 Comments
July 15, 2009 at 1:28 am
Very nice interpretations !
Re : the camel, I have been in Morocco in May and there you have a lot, I also know them from Egypt. Camels are so cute ! Look in my header, there I am sitting on a camel !
July 15, 2009 at 3:14 am
Oh these are wonderful! I never thought of salt of the earth — but I wouldn’t have had a clue how to illustrate it anyway! (again… I don’t think “simple”)
And I LOVE your last bullet for it — I had not heard that one before … nor thought of it on my own. And that is a really good way to look at it!
As for taking the plunge — that sO reminds me of my younger days! I used to sit in there for the Fireman’s carnival when I was dating one of the firemen for a few years. It was great fun, and a good cause. Except on the rare occasion that it was COLD out…. then it was not so fun…
July 15, 2009 at 3:45 am
These are the bomb. There were so many good ones this week for S…And what a great expalanation for both of them. I’ve been the clown many many times. And the salt information…excellent
July 15, 2009 at 10:32 am
Salt of the earth is a fave saying and your illustrations fit perfectly. The poor pastor, all good fun though and great shot from Jesse lol. happy Wednesday, Kathy.
July 15, 2009 at 1:51 pm
Very well done Barbara, I love them both and I love all the information you added. Thanks a lot for playing, I’m having fun visiting all the links! Speaking of links, I managed to fix the Mr Linky and added your link!
July 15, 2009 at 2:09 pm
I always thought “taking the plunge” meant trying something new that one was just a bit apprehensive to commit to! Three different meanings, but really, all tied up in the same emotion.
You did a great job with these. Maybe when I am home again and my life is on even keel (or as even as it ever gets) I’ll jump back in.
July 15, 2009 at 10:12 pm
Let us all be salt of the earth!
July 16, 2009 at 3:14 am
Great post. Very well done, I like the way you elaborated on salt and gave both sides of the usage, two idioms in one, lol.