[General] Is "take (something) with a grain of salt" an idiom?

[Zoli]

Hello,
Is "take (something) with a grain of salt" an idiom?

An example:
I take what Peter says with a grain of salt.

 

[GoesStation]

Yes. It's easy to understand, though: you have to add a little (metaphorical) salt to whatever David says before you can swallow it (i.e., believe it).

 

[Zoli]

Do you mean something like this?

Peter tends to exaggerate. I take what he says with a grain of salt.

 

[GoesStation]

Do you mean something like this?

Peter tends to exaggerate. I take what he says with a grain of salt.

Yes, that's a perfect example.

 

[teechar]

Note that "a pinch of salt" is also used in that idiom.
https://www.lexico.com/definition/take_something_with_a_pinch_of_salt

 

[emsr2d2]

I've heard only "a pinch of salt" in BrE.

 

[GoesStation]

I've only heard "a grain of salt" in the United States. We've discussed this US/British difference before.

 

[Skrej]

The "standard" phrase in the U.S. is 'a grain', but you'll occasionally hear it modified to larger amounts for the purpose of hyperbole.

At least in my region, where we have a lot of cattle ranching, if you REALLY don't trust the person, you might take everything he says with a block of salt - a reference to the large salt-lick blocks we put out for livestock. You can see from the images how much salt that really represents. :lol:

Again, that's not the standard saying, and many people wouldn't even understand the humor. At that point, you're basically insinuating he's a flat-out liar, versus just suggesting he might not be completely trustworthy or accurate.

AmE does use 'pinch' as an approximate measuring amount though, as in 'add a pinch of salt'.

 

[Yankee]

Note that "a pinch of salt" is also used in that idiom.
https://www.lexico.com/definition/take_something_with_a_pinch_of_salt

In AmE I would expect to see/hear "pinch of salt" used only in recipes.

 

[Rover_KE]

See also this thread.

 

[emsr2d2]

In AmE I would expect to see/hear "pinch of salt" used only in recipes.

It's just as well recipes don't call for just a grain of salt!

 

[Tdol]

I've only heard "a grain of salt" in the United States. We've discussed this US/British difference before.

Maybe we exaggerate more and require more salt. ;-)