What does ‘take with a grain of salt’ mean?
To “take with a grain of salt” means to treat with scepticism. Brewer's traces the phrase to the Latin 'cum grano salis', found in Pliny the Elder as advice for taking a medicinal remedy; the figurative sense of scepticism grew from there.
Origin
- Brewer's traces the phrase to the Latin 'cum grano salis', found in Pliny the Elder as advice for taking a medicinal remedy; the figurative sense of scepticism grew from there.
How to use it
- Very common when passing on doubtful information.
- Example: Take that rumour with a grain of salt.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.