with a grain of salt

1. Also, with a pinch of salt. Skeptically, with reservations. For example, I always take Sandy's stories about illnesses with a grain of salt—she tends to exaggerate. This expression is a translation of the Latin cum grano salis, which Pliny used in describing Pompey's discovery of an antidote for poison (to be taken with a grain of salt). It was soon adopted by English writers.

Example Sentences

But as with any purported achievement, it’s worth taking it with a grain of salt.

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She also urged followers to take tabloid reports about her mental health and drinking with a grain of salt.

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Take them with a grain of salt, however: De Jong, then in his 70s, was very experienced but not formally trained in archaeology.

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Take that with a grain of salt, maybe, because the White House is simultaneously making noise about investigating Powell—who can only be fired “for cause,” i.e., for misconduct—for purportedly spending too much on Fed headquarters renovations.

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"POWs are a particularly vulnerable category of witnesses, any evidence they give should be taken with a grain of salt."

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