To take something with a grain of salt 'accept with a certain amount of reserve' is from 1640s, from Modern Latin cum grano salis. Salt-and-pepper (adj.) 'of dark and light color' is by 1915 ( pepper-and-salt, 1774, was an old name for a kind of cloth made from dark and light colored wools woven together). To be above (or below ) the salt (1590s) refers to customs of seating at a long table according to rank or honor, and placing a large salt-cellar in the middle of the dining table. Belief that spilling salt brings bad luck is attested from 16c. Many metaphoric uses reflect that this was once a rare and important resource, such as worth one's salt 'efficient, capable' (1830), salt of the earth 'persons of worthiness' (Old English, after Matthew v.13). Artfully crafted with acute attention to detail, the Glazed Stoneware Salt Cellar blends seamlessly with your kitchen decor, while adding both form and. Salt long was regarded as having power to repel spiritual and magical evil. By 1570s as 'that which gives piquancy to discourse or writing or liveliness to a person's character.'

Meaning 'experienced sailor' is attested by 1840 (Dana), probably a reference to the salinity of the sea. Modern chemistry sense 'compound of an acid radical with a base radical' is from 1790 as an ultimate element in alchemy from 1580s. to various substances resembling common salt. Old English sealt 'salt, sodium chloride, abundant substance essential to life, used as a condiment and meat preservative,' from Proto-Germanic *saltom (source also of Old Saxon, Old Norse, Old Frisian, Gothic salt, Dutch zout, German Salz), from PIE root *sal- 'salt.'Īpplied from early 14c.

Salt cellar