What does mean "Rubbing salt in the wound"?

Hi,
I've heard this expression and couldn't figure out the meaning:
Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound

What does it mean?:D

Hi nabylm:

Rubbing salt into the wound means, generally, to make someone feel worse than they already do.

Some examples might be: losing your job (the wound) and having the person you dislike most get your old job (rubbing in the salt)...or your wife/husband leaves you for your best friend.

It's sort of like another of our expressions: "A Double Whammy" or one bad thing followed by another.

OK. Kind of like when you think you hit bottom, you figure out there's a slope that'll get you even lower... And that's when you start to feel the salt burning up your blood:p
Got it! thanks vicente

Just imagine how bad a wound feels. Then add the feeling of salt in the open wound. That's the point off how painful it is.

Yep Daniel.;) That's the point of the phrase.


There is a similar phrase that probably derived from this phrase.

"To rub it in": to remind someone of a mistake or something unpleasant or unwanted that they have done in order to embarrass, humiliate, anger or just annoy them.

EX: "I know I made a mistake. You don't have to rub it in."

I believe that the phrase:
"Thanks for rubbing salt in the wound" in spanish would be like: "Gracias por poner el dedo en la llaga"
Sumando a las descripciones que dieron los experimentados miembros del foro. Puro sarcasmo.

Alguna vez escuché el témino "revolver el cuchillo en la herida" que sería más literal. Pero coincido que lo más usado en español es "meter el dedo en la llaga"

Santiago, the same phrase exists in U.S. English: "To turn the knife".

Vicente, how would that phrase "To turn the knife" go in a conversation? Could you give an example?

Hello eidjit:

"I was falsely accused of stealing and to turn the knife (in the wound), I had to make a public apology".

This phrase is not as common as "to rub salt into the would" or "to rub it in" but the meaning is essentially the same.

Another phrase with similar meaning is "to add insult to injury".

EX: "To add insult to injury I had to apologize for something I didn't do."