куль соли съесть

• ПУД <МНОГО, КУЛЬ> СОЛИ СЪЕСТЬ с кем coll

[VP; subj: human; often infin with надо]

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⇒ having had extensive (usu. close) contact with s.o., to understand him and his character thoroughly:

- X с Y-ом пуд соли съел{{}}≈ (having spent so much time with Y,) X knows (has gotten to know) Y really well;

- X has spent years (a lot of time) with Y (and knows him very well);

- X has eaten the proverbial peck of salt with Y.

     ♦ "Ты видел Зиновьева и Каменева только на трибунах съездов, я с ними пуд соли съел..." (Рыбаков 2). "You've only seen Zinoviev and Kamenev on the platform at congresses, whereas I've spent years with them..." (2a)

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← From the saying "Чтобы узнать человека, надо с ним пуд соли съесть" ("A man must eat a peck of salt with his friend before he knows him"). See 4-54.