salt of the earth
an individual or group considered as representative of the best or noblest elements of society.
Origin of salt of the earth
1Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use salt of the earth in a sentence
Against O'Donnell's salt-of-the-earth presentation, Coons was aloof.
Leno has staked his claim to the working-class, salt-of-the-earth demographic.
The new salt-of-the earth star of the political reality show, Joe, even showed up after the debate with Katie Couric on CBS News.
Cultural definitions for salt of the Earth
Basic, fundamental goodness; the phrase can be used to describe any simple, good person: “I like Mary: she's reliable, trustworthy, and straightforward; she's the salt of the Earth.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells his followers, who are mainly fishermen and other simple people, “Ye are the salt of the Earth.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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