People & relationships

The salt of the earth

A good, honest and reliable person, often a simple, hard-working one.

Examples

  • The farmers in my village are the salt of the earth.
  • My first boss was the salt of the earth – fair, kind and always honest.

How to use it

Neutral and very positive. Usually after "be".

Where it comes from

From the Bible, where Jesus tells his followers "Ye are the salt of the earth" in the Sermon on the Mount.