[Idiom] What does "spit in one's salt" mean?

[Senem]

Hello everybody,

I am reading a book on the Arab Revolution. There is a sentence that I cannot understand. I hope you can help.
I underlined the sentence. I quote the previous and the following sentences to provide the context.
"Turkey opened itsborders to the “rat-line” of international extremism, with planeloads offighters from Chechnya, Libya and Tunisia flying into Turkey to cross intoSyria to fight for ISIS and its offshoots. ISIS spat in Turkey's salt. ISIS struck Turkey in2013 with car bombs and abductions, suggesting to Ankara that its policy hasendangered its citizens."

Thanks already for your help

Best wishes

 

[Rover_KE]

Welcome to the forum, Senem.

Please correct the information in your profile. I don't think Vanuatu can be your home country.

 

[konungursvia]

Well, it means they steimed on their skitch.

 

[Lazz]

There are two core elements to be understood in interpreting this metaphor:

1. Salt has always possessed great cultural value, mainly due to its uses in both food preparation and food preservation, and played an important role in trade. It was so highly prized and of such importance that battles have actually been fought over it.
2. The spitting is done not in "one's" salt, but into the salt of another - so it is contaminated by alien bodily fluids.

Thus it is symbolic of abusive contempt.

 

[Tdol]

I have not heard this expression used in British English. I can't find it in dictionaries, so it doesn't appear to be a standard phrase. I would interpret it in the same way as Lazz.

 

[Senem]

Thank you everybody, Lazz and Tdol, for your kind interest, and sorry for replying SOOO LATE, I had problem in logging in. Konungursvia I couldn't understand what you mean. Moderator I have corrected my info. Best wishes and thanks again.

 

[Eckaslike]

In British English I would say that they "spat in Turkey's eye", or that they "spat in Turkey's face".

http://www.dictionary.com/browse/spit-in-someone-s-eye

 

[Tarheel]

Say:

There is a sentence I don't understand.

To spit in somebody's food is an act of contempt. (In this case it's salt, but It's the same principle.