attic salt
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Wit or sarcasm, especially in writing
Sự khôn ngoan hoặc sự mỉa mai, đặc biệt là trong văn viết
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Sense 2
wit, humour, pleasantry. Partly a reference to a suggestive portion of Grecian literature, and partly a sly hit at the well-known poverty of many writers.
Era: ca. 1874 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Historical definition reproduced from Hotten’s The Slang Dictionary (1874, public domain; Project Gutenberg #42108, retrieved 2026-07-31). Reflects the attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “attic salt” mean?
Wit or sarcasm, especially in writing Literally: salt stored in the attic
Is “attic salt” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.