In a comment over at OTB I said that I was fortunate enough to have “salted away” enough money for my retirement. So what is the source of the phrase salted away? In the days before refrigeration they used to soak meat, especially fish in brine to preserve it for the long winter months. This is why Gmunden, Austria became a center of civilization, they had both fish and salt and supplied both to the Roman empire. The residents of Gmunden were the Celts who eventually found their way to the British Isle and became the Irish. So “salted away” has become looking forward and preparing for the future.