take (something) with a pinch of salt
treat with scepticism; don't believe entirely
In Spanish
tomarse algo con pinzas / con cautela
Examples
- Take everything he says with a pinch of salt — he tends to exaggerate.
- When reading online reviews, always take them with a pinch of salt.
- Politicians often make promises that should be taken with a pinch of salt.
When it's used
This idiom is commonly used in informal and conversational English. It is a way to advise someone to be skeptical, especially when hearing information that might be inaccurate or exaggerated. It is frequently heard in everyday conversations.
The common mistake
A common mistake is to translate it literally from Spanish as 'take with tweezers', which makes no sense in English. Additionally, learners might incorrectly inflect the phrase, such as saying 'take with a pinch of salts', which is not correct.