Take with a grain of salt
Meaning
To view information with skepticism and not accept it as entirely true or reliable.
Origin
The phrase harks back to ancient Roman times, most famously appearing in Pliny the Elder's Naturalis Historia. He recounts a story about Mithridates VI, the King of Pontus, who was so paranoid about being poisoned that he developed a complex antidote. This prophylactic concoction, designed to build immunity against various toxins, reputedly contained 22 ingredients—and crucially, a small grain of salt. To 'take with a grain of salt' originally implied adding a protective measure, much like Mithridates took salt with his poisons to make them less potent. Over centuries, this literal act of self-preservation evolved into a figurative one, meaning to approach questionable information with a small dose of skepticism, an intellectual antidote to potentially harmful or unreliable claims.
Examples
- I heard a rumor about the new policy, but I'll take it with a grain of salt until it's officially announced.
- His claims of catching a record-breaking fish should be taken with a grain of salt, considering his tendency to exaggerate.