Idioms

a grain of salt

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a grain of salt

Reservations or the understanding that some rumor or piece of information may not be completely true or accurate. Possibly a reference to an ancient Roman antidote to poison that included or consisted of a grain of salt. I heard that you can get a free movie ticket if you wear red, but Kevin told me that, so I'm going to take it with a grain of salt. Read whatever that paper publishes with a grain of salt—it's really just a trashy tabloid. They didn't hear directly from Miss Smith that we're having a pop quiz today, so take the rumors with a grain of salt.
See also: grain, of, salt
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References in periodicals archive
That's why we always take information with a grain of salt.)
As the situation hots up for Netanyahu, taking his statements with usual grain of salt is simply not enough.
Tucker, who still has nothing but love and respect for Westwood, takes the punk icon's criticism with a grain of salt: "If it was anyone else I'd be upset, but with her, I'll take it." (VivienneWestwoodFilm.com)
Consider this: a grain of salt weighs 58,500 nanograms.
"When it comes to pregnancy and parenting, I've taken advice with a grain of salt -- everyone has their own style.
IBM's tiny computer is smaller than a coarse grain of salt and reportedly costs less than ten cents to manufacture.
But he thinks Jesus tells him to say things." While anything said on those craftily edited reality TV shows should be taken with a grain of salt, one wonders how Pence might answer if asked whether or not this were true.
24 (ANI): Turns out, tiny crystals, as small as a grain of salt, can be used to predict volcanic eruptions.
"Ever since the blockade of Qatar started, fake news and propaganda have become rampant on social media so we have to be very careful about what we read and take everything with a grain of salt," he added.
NCPERS has long argued that underfunding levels are calculated using highly politicized processes in many states and should be taken with a grain of salt.
And you can take the support given him by Guv Sununu, who whitewashed FE's planned presence with a very hefty grain of salt. "Showing up to an event is showing up to an event," the guv said.
According to Huffington Post's US website, Fiorina said that "I take the Iranian condemnation with a huge grain of salt. This is a regime that tortures citizens routinely, that thinks nothing of executions, that still holds four Americans in jail."
A study published in November in Science Advances finds that we might have to take our assumptions about the mineral deposits with a grain of salt. But let's start back at the beginning, with why dry-packing nuclear waste in salt became our go-to nuclear storage solution.
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