salt of the earth
Society's finest people
Salt of the earth describes people who are decent, unpretentious, and fundamentally good—the humble, hardworking types who form the backbone of a community.
The phrase comes from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus calls his followers "the salt of the earth." It's almost always used approvingly: My grandparents were salt of the earth people.
- reliableConsistently performing as expected
- humbleUnassuming about oneself
- genuineTruly what it claims
- honestFree from deception
- honest livingIncome from ethical labor
beatitudes · excellent · trustworthy · solid citizen · integrity · dependable · true blue · upright · common folk · hard working · forthright · philanthropist · decent · agape love · peacemakers · humility · generosity · virtuous
- Biblical ExpressionsGarden of Eden, David and Goliath, Good Samaritan, prodigal son, forbidden fruit
- Everymanaverage Joe, everyman, common man, regular Joe, regular guy
- food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, low-hanging fruit, cool as a cucumber, bad egg
- Biblical imageryLamb of God, Good Shepherd, bread of life, light of the world, living water
- Jesus' teachingsSermon on the Mount, beatitudes, Beatitudes, love your enemies, Lord's Prayer
- Scripture PhrasesJohn 3:16, Lord's Prayer, Our Father, Ten Commandments, Beatitudes
salt of the earthscoundrel
Dishonest, unscrupulous person
scum of the earth · villain · snake in the grass · rotten apple · bad egg
salt of the earthelitist
One favoring the privileged
snob · social climber · pretender · poseur · hoity-toity
salt of the earthparasite
One exploiting a host
freeloader · deadbeat · good-for-nothing · layabout · moocher
earth, salt, salty, earthy, earthquake, salts, earthly, unearthly, earthen