salt the air

[frindle]

Hello. Would you please tell me what the underlined phrase means in this context below?
Please help! Thank you.


-----------------------------------------------
(A man died by heart attack.)
All week long, similar phrases salted the air:
"At least he went quickly."
"He was a good man."
"He'll be in heaven now."
"He was a nice man."
"He was an honest fellow."

 

[Rover_KE]

It's not a standard expression.

Where did you encounter it?

Rover

 

[frindle]

It's from a children's novel, <Great Unexpected> by Sharon Creech.

 

[BobK]

As Rover says it's unusual. A similar expression, though, may give some idea of the author's intention: a target is often said to be peppered with missiles of some kind. I think this writer was just saying: 'people kept saying things like...'

b

 

[emsr2d2]

Note that the man died of/from/after a heart attack, not by​ one.