above the 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.
See also: above, salt
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
See also:
  • below the salt
  • beneath the salt
  • sit beneath the salt
  • sit below the salt
  • ranking
  • rank above
  • rank above (someone or something)
  • rank below (someone or something)
  • rank higher than (one)
  • at the top of the food chain
References in periodicals archive
The host and important guests were seated above the salt, while the servants and lower orders were relegated below it.
Seek out these antiques that are worth their salt
Troubling and admittedly imperfect, The Mother's Recompense (1925), Twilight Sleep (1927), and The Children (1928) are novels with interesting critical receptions, and challenge some received notions about Wharton derived from her better-known work; with equal claim to sit above the salt with Ethan Frome and Summer are the four brilliant novellas of Old New York (1924).
The Critical Reception of Edith Wharton
In engaging such questions, "Whitworth" represented Lord's victory over crafts and secured his place above the salt at the larger stylistic table of his time.
Andrew Lord: GLADSTONE GALLERY
He doesn't need a tactical change but a strategic one, and it will involve educating his owners and impressing upon them that if they are to retain their habitual places above the salt then they are going to have to play a longer game, with all the perils, pitfalls and disappointments that can involve.
Pipe must alter his course with turning of the tide
Boardwalks provide walkways above the salt marsh; the nature center has exhibits and visitor programs.
Bringing back the bay: Efforts to clean up protect and restore San Francisco Bay are creating an inviting refuge for wildlife-and people. (Making a better west)
The effect on customers when he explained that a high-volume, no-frills approach kept Costco's profit margins under 10 percent--a quarter those of retailers--was as if the heavens had opened up above the Salt Lake warehouse.
Discounting's big daddy
The company well 1-BRSA-669-BAS (1-BAS-147), located to the south of the Jequitinhonha Basin, has discovered hydrocarbons in sandy reservoirs located above the salt layer.
Petrobras Announces Hydrocarbon Discovery
Figure 4(c) shows the vertical temperature distribution above the salt at 650[degrees]C, where the cathode was located during the salt draining.
Separation of Electrolytic Reduction Product from Stainless Steel Wire Mesh Cathode Basket via Salt Draining and Reuse of the Cathode Basket
Our Planet shows hundreds of thousands of birds building nests to keep their eggs above the salt water of a disturbed lake.
Our Planet on Netflix has Attenborough fans tearing up over baby flamingo; Our Planet - the new documentary series from David Attenborough - has dropped on Netflix and fans are already crying
Specific symptoms that occur due to salt injury include damage on the side of the plant that faces the street, plants downwind have more damage than those upwind, damage is worse near the street and decreases with more distance, and plant parts above the salt spray show little or no damage.
Choose plants carefully for gardens exposed to road salt
If the stratigraphy in this upper kilometer is homogenous and permeable, advection will drive the thermal anomaly above the salt structure.
Advective Heat Transport and the Salt Chimney Effect: A Numerical Analysis