back to the salt mines
to go back to work
TRANSLATION
back to the salt mines = zurück in die Tretmühle, zurück an die Arbeit --- GOOGLE INDEX back to the salt mines: approximately 400,000 Google hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
So that’s it. My extended vacation is done. I’m BACK TO THE SALT MINES tomorrow with no vacation days in sight.
(from an Internet blog)
---
BACK TO THE SALT MINES: Rejoining the Workforce after a Time Out
(www.nalp.org)
(from an Internet blog)
---
BACK TO THE SALT MINES: Rejoining the Workforce after a Time Out
(www.nalp.org)
Did you
know?
back to the salt mines
idiom
- to return to one's work
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary)
---
In both imperial and communist Russia, it was common practice to send people convicted of crimes, both petty and serious, to Siberia where they were forced to perform hard labour. Apart from working in silver, gold and lead mines, prisoners were also sent to the salt mines. Before the creation of the Trans-Siberia Railway, the prisoners also had to suffer the long cross-country trek on foot. Thus the image of toiling in the salt mines became synonymous with work in general, giving rise to the expression "back to the salt mines," which is used in a humorous or cynical sense.
Although salt is cheap and plentiful these days, it was once one of the world's most expensive and valuable minerals. It has retained its value in several other expressions however:
- rub salt in a wound = to deliberately make someone's unhappiness, shame, or misfortune worse (I damaged my car in an accident and now the insurance company is rubbing salt in the wound by refusing to pay for the repairs)
- salt something away = to store or save something (We salted away some money so we can take an extended holiday)
- salt of the earth = a very good or worthy person (My brother is the salt of the earth. He is always there when I need help.)
- take something with a pinch/grain of salt = to listen to an explanation or story with considerable doubt (Take anything he says with a pinch of salt)
- worth one's salt = worth what it costs to keep or support one (The new secretary is really worth her salt)
---
SYNONYMS
back to the grind, back to the grindstone
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I had a relaxing weekend, but now it's back to the salt mines."
idiom
- to return to one's work
(McGraw-Hill Dictionary)
---
In both imperial and communist Russia, it was common practice to send people convicted of crimes, both petty and serious, to Siberia where they were forced to perform hard labour. Apart from working in silver, gold and lead mines, prisoners were also sent to the salt mines. Before the creation of the Trans-Siberia Railway, the prisoners also had to suffer the long cross-country trek on foot. Thus the image of toiling in the salt mines became synonymous with work in general, giving rise to the expression "back to the salt mines," which is used in a humorous or cynical sense.
Although salt is cheap and plentiful these days, it was once one of the world's most expensive and valuable minerals. It has retained its value in several other expressions however:
- rub salt in a wound = to deliberately make someone's unhappiness, shame, or misfortune worse (I damaged my car in an accident and now the insurance company is rubbing salt in the wound by refusing to pay for the repairs)
- salt something away = to store or save something (We salted away some money so we can take an extended holiday)
- salt of the earth = a very good or worthy person (My brother is the salt of the earth. He is always there when I need help.)
- take something with a pinch/grain of salt = to listen to an explanation or story with considerable doubt (Take anything he says with a pinch of salt)
- worth one's salt = worth what it costs to keep or support one (The new secretary is really worth her salt)
---
SYNONYMS
back to the grind, back to the grindstone
---
SMUGGLE OWAD into today's conversation
"I had a relaxing weekend, but now it's back to the salt mines."
