From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishthe salt of the earththe salt of the earthGOOD/MORALsomeone who is ordinary but good and honest → salt
Examples from the Corpus
the salt of the earth• Robert D.. Raven is the salt of the earth.• The backbone of the nation, the salt of the earth.• The homeless are not the salt of the earth.• That he's the salt of the earth? 