salt-horse
Definition
Noun:
- Salted meat: "salt-horse" refers to preserved meat, typically beef, that has been cured with salt. This term is historically associated with provisions for sailors on long sea voyages, where fresh meat was unavailable and salting was the primary method of preservation.
Usage Examples
- (The preserved meat was a staple but unpleasant part of their diet.)
- (It was a standard provision for long journeys at sea.)
Advanced Usage
- "to be fed salt-horse": to be given only salted meat as food, often implying poor or monotonous rations. (Their diet consisted solely of preserved meat, leading to health issues like scurvy.)
Variants and Related Words
- Salt beef (n): a synonym for "salt-horse", specifically referring to salted beef. (Salted beef was stored for long voyages.)
- Salt junk (n): another term for salted meat, particularly on ships. (This was a colloquial name for the same provision.)
Synonyms
- Corned beef: beef preserved with salt (though modern corned beef is often brined rather than dry-salted). (It is a similar preserved meat product.)
- Jerked meat: dried and salted meat, though typically prepared differently. (It shares the preservation method of salting and drying.)
Related Idioms
- "Salt-horse and hardtack": a phrase describing the basic, unappetizing diet of sailors, consisting of salted meat and dry biscuits. (This idiom emphasizes the harshness of life at sea.)
Notes on Usage
- The term "salt-horse" is largely historical and archaic, rarely used in modern English except in discussions of maritime history or culinary traditions. It carries a connotation of poor quality and monotony.