The English idiom take it with a grain of salt means “treat information with a degree of skepticism and doubt.” It is a slightly muted way of saying that you do not find the source of the information to be trustworthy.
Examples: Take it with a grain of salt
My advice with any election communication is to take it with a grain of salt.
As with any advertising claim, it is always best to take it with a grain of salt and check out the details.
Some people call me cynical and disbelieving, but experience has taught me that when faced with something that appears too good to be true, it is best to take it with a grain of salt.
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Take it with a grain of salt
You can use the idiom take it with a grain of salt when you want to indicate skepticism or doubt about how reliable some information is. The skepticism might relate to the information itself or, more commonly, to the source of the information.
The source of the phrase isn’t definitively known. Many authorities point to Pliny the Elder writing in the first century, who used the Latin equivalent of the phrase but only in the literal sense of actually adding salt.
How the figurative meaning of skepticism developed is not known, but we do know that it has been used in that way since at least 1647.
Examples: Take it with a grain of salt
If your gut tells you that the information seems suspect, then you should take it with a grain of salt.
In the modern age of misinformation and disinformation, it is more important than ever when we see surprising information to take it with a grain of salt.
“I know John of old,” said Dominik, “and when he tells me something, I always take it with a grain of salt.”
Take it with a pinch of salt
In the UK, you are more likely to hear the phrase take it with a pinch of salt rather than grain, but don’t be confused; in all other ways, the idiom and its meaning are the same.
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