le video clip du mois – passer le sel

Passe-moi le sel, et je te passerai la moutarde !  

1.41 minutes

[Voir aussi : le mot valise du mois – phubbing]

Note historique et linguistique:

Pendant un repas, il convient de ne pas se passer le sel de la main à la main, car cela porterait malheur. Il faut poser la ­salière sur la table pour que son convive la saisisse.

Cette croyance remonte à la Rome antique. A l’époque, le sel était une denrée rare, essentielle pour conserver les aliments et versée comme salaire aux légionnaires.

Le mot anglais "salary" et le mot français "salaire" sont dérivés du mot latin "salarium", dont la signification était la somme donnée aux soldats pour acheter leur sel. (Le Robert, Etymologie du français, Jacqueline Pichoche., Nouvelle Édition 2009) -  donc ration de sel.

Au Moyen Age, le sel n’a plus été utilisé comme rémunération mais est cependant resté un ingrédient cher, à manipuler avec précaution.

Il pouvait même représenter jusqu’à 10 % des dépenses d’une famille de paysans en France.

Expressions idiomatiques en anglais contenant le mot salt :

above the salt

Of or in a position of high standing, rank, regard, or repute. The term is derived from the social hierarchy of nobility in medieval times, in which salt, a precious commodity then, was set in the middle of the dining table. Those of high noble rank were seated "above the salt," that is, closer to the lord and lady of the house, while those in lower social standing were seated "below" it. Even though my boss is above the salt, he still makes a point of mingling with everyone in the company. Mike considers himself above the salt since getting that big promotion at the law firm last month.

below the salt

In or at a position of low or common standing, rank, regard, or repute. The term is derived from the social hierarchy of nobility in medieval times, in which salt, a precious commodity then, was set in the middle of the dining table. Those of high noble rank were seated "above the salt," that is, closer to the lord and lady of the house, while those in lower social standing were seated "below" it. Robert's tech firm bankrupted last month, so I guess he's back to sitting below the salt with us again. I know it makes me a snob, but I just consider these big summer blockbusters to be rather below the salt.

go back to the salt mines

Fig. to return to one's work. (Jocular; fig. on the image of menial labor working in salt mines.)
It's late. I have to go back to the salt mines. What time do you have to go back to the salt mines?

take something with a pinch of salt (British & Australian)

also take something with a grain of salt (American & Australian) If you take what someone says with a pinch of salt, you do not completely believe it.

You have to take everything she says with a pinch of salt. She has a tendency to exaggerate. It's interesting to read the reports in the newspapers, but I tend to take them with a grain of salt.

worth your/its salt

someone or something that deserves respect.

Nearly any wine shop worth its salt carries at least a few wines from New Zealand. Any judge worth his salt would immediately report an attempt to influence the jury.

the salt of the earth

the best people. 
Farmers were described as the best, the salt of the earth, particularly when their products were needed to feed the army.

rub salt in a wound

Fig. to deliberately make someone's unhappiness, shame, or misfortune worse.
Don't rub salt in the wound by telling me how enjoyable the party was. Bill is feeling miserable about losing his job and Bob is rubbing salt into the wound by saying how good his replacement is.

salt horse

n. corned or salted beef.
We made spaghetti sauce with salt horse because that was the only meat we could find.

go through someone like a dose of (the) salts

in. to move through someone’s digestive tract like a strong laxative.
That stuff they served last night went through me like a dose of salts.

Source: Idioms.TheFreeDictionary.com

Salt: A Word History
Mark Kurlansky
Penguin Books, 2003