go back to the salt mines

[thedaffodils]

A British guy told me that he never heard about "go back to the salt mines". Do most Britons really hardly hear about it or use it?

Here's the definition about the idiom.

go back to the salt mines - Idioms - by the Free Dictionary, Thesaurus and Encyclopedia.

 

[BobK]

I haven't heard it since my childhood. 'Nose to the grindstone' is a more common image.

b

 

[thedaffodils]

I haven't heard it since my childhood. 'Nose to the grindstone' is a more common image.

b

Thank you very much for your reply. That idiom you wrote is what he told me.

 

[BobK]

I've looked at the link now, and that ('return to one's daily employment') isn't the meaning I know. Before Solzhenitsyn's work made everyone aware of the gulags, being 'sent to the salt mines' referred to a punishment.

b

 

[SoothingDave]

"Salt" is the root for "salary." I understand "working in the salt mine" to be a colorful way of saying earning your salary.

 

[Tdol]

To me, it has the idea of work as punishment/servitude/forced labour.

 

[thedaffodils]

Sorry for the wrong link, BobK. I don't know how it happened.

UE has the definition of back to the Salt mines. Here's the link, and hope it works well.

Back to the salt mine - Idiom Definition - UsingEnglish.com

Idiom Definitions for 'Back to the salt mine'

If someone says they have to go back to the salt mine, they have to return to work.

I totally agree with Tdol about the interpretation of the idiom. That's what I learned.

Again, thank you for your attention, every one.

 

[Tdol]

I have added unwillingly to the definition. ;-)

 

[Barb_D]

We must use it differently here.

It's usually used light-heartedly. You go out for lunch with your coworkers. You have a nice time. Then, after the bill is paid, you say "Welll, this was fun. Now, back to the salt mine" to mean "return to work."

For most of us, our air conditioned cubicles are not really that onerous a place to work.

 

[Tdol]

We must be more work-shy. I've changed it to possibly unwillingly to try to include all views. ;-)

 

[thedaffodils]

I have added unwillingly to the definition. ;-)

Thank you, Tdol.

I found it is "mines" when it comes to the idiom in most results of my Google search, but UE version is the singular of mine.

I wonder whether or not both mines and mine are acceptable.

P.S. Google search results:

1.
 English business and work idioms

2
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 Monday morning?

Source: The Free Dictionary