A few days ago
Krish

what does the idiom “to take it with a pinch of salt’ mean?

As far as I have understood I think this idiom means that ‘not to take the news/message one passes on on its face value’ The person passing on the news may be exaggerating the news. So we must take the news with a pinch of salt. Please correct me if I am wrong

Top 7 Answers
A few days ago
Dan Bueno

Favorite Answer

According to Wikipedia:

(With) a grain of salt is a literal translation of a Latin phrase, (cúm) grano salis. A pinch of salt may also be used.

In common parlance, if something is to be taken with a grain of salt, it means that a measure of healthy skepticism should be applied regarding a claim; that it should not be blindly accepted and believed without any doubt or reservation. According to the Oxford English Dictionary “to take ‘it’ with a grain of salt” means “to accept a thing less than fully”. It dates this usage back to 1647.

Another meaning is ‘with moderation’, and it is related to the way someone uses something. It probably refers to the activity of cooking, where only a pinch of salt is sufficient to enhance the flavour of a dish. In this sense, using something ‘*** grano salis’ means to use it with moderation.

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A few days ago
Antimidas
This is a play on the superstition that throwing a pinch of salt over your left shoulder will bring you luck in your current situation.If you take it with a pinch of salt,you won’t be fooled it it is untrue.So basicly exactly what you said,but any number of things could have tainted the integrity of the information(i.e.,misinformation,exaggeration,lying,etc.)
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5 years ago
miranda
A pinch of salt is literally a pinch you grab salt as if you were pinching it with 2 fingers. A grain is each individual piece.
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A few days ago
Carlos R
Your understanding is correct. It means to be a little skeptical. Or to be grounded in reality, not relying solely on what you or the speaker wish to be true.

As President Reagan said, “Trust, but verify.”

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A few days ago
Anonymous
no i think you are right, it means not to be too worried about something and to just get over it / ignore it
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A few days ago
Anonymous
Your on the money.
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A few days ago
?
That is also my understanding.
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