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salt away

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salt something away

 

1. Lit. to store and preserve a foodstuff by salting it. The farmer's wife salted a lot of fish and hams away for the winter. She salted away a lot of food.

2. Fig. to store something; to place something in reserve. I need to salt some money away for my retirement. I will salt away some money for emergencies.

See also: away, salt

salt away something

also salt something away

to save something, esp. money, for use at a later time It's not easy paying a mortgage, raising a young child, and salting away enough money for your retirement.

See also: away, salt

salt away

Also, salt down. Keep in reserve, store, save, as in He salted away most of his earnings in a bank account. This idiom alludes to using salt as a food preservative. [Mid-1800s]

See also: away, salt

salt away

v.

To save or store something for future use: I salted away money from my summer job to pay for college. I bought 20 packs of paper towels that were on sale, and I salted them away.

See also: away, salt