• Skip to main content
  • Skip to footer

Free Spirit English

Learn English Fast

  • Home
  • Videos
  • IELTS
  • Vocabulary
  • Grammar
  • Pronunciation
  • About Us
    • Contact Us

Free Spirit English / December 22, 2019

74. Take That with a Grain of Salt – Learn English Idioms with Videos

In Ireland, some advice you might hear from a friend when you have a cold is to drink a ‘hot whiskey’, which is an alcoholic drink containing a shot of whiskey mixed with hot water. Of course, alcohol is not really a cure for the common cold. This remedy is certainly not based on scientific evidence and it’s not the sort of advice you would get from a doctor, so you need to take that with a grain of salt. This idiom means that you shouldn’t always trust what you’ve heard from others. When you’re sick, you should always consult a medical professional for advice instead!

Watch the video below for further explanation of this common idiom.

Learn English - Everyday Idioms #74. Take That with a Grain of Salt

Transcript

Take that with a grain of salt? You mean, put a little salt on it?

No! If somebody says, “Take that with a grain of salt,” they mean, “You should be skeptical about that,” or “Don’t believe that 100%,” or “Don’t trust that 100%.”

So, let’s see how we can use this phrase naturally:

  • A: I read in Gossip Magazine that Barack Obama is going to leave his wife for Beyoncé.
  • B: Gossip Magazine? I’d take that with a grain of salt if I were you!
  • Facebook is full of false quotes. If you see a quote attached to a photo, take it with a grain of salt.
  • Every second word out of Dave’s mouth is a lie! You have to take everything he says with a grain of salt.

So, there we are. Do you have a similar phrase in your language? If so, let us know in the comments section below.

Practice

Read the questions below and practice using today’s idiom.

  • What was the last time you read a rumor about a celebrity that you weren’t sure was true? What did you say about the rumor?
  • Did a friend or a family member ever give you advice that you didn’t take seriously?

Ready to build more language skills? Take a look at our videos aimed at improving your English grammar and pronunciation.

If you like this series, why not consider our in-depth course Essential English Idioms?

Share this:

  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)

Related

Filed Under: Everyday Idioms, Videos

Free Spirit English

Hi, there! Welcome to our site! We're Dara and Jessica, two English language teachers with a passion for sharing content to help you on your journey towards English mastery. Read more...

Follow us: Facebook / Instagram / Youtube

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Footer

For business enquires, please contact us.

 

 

Privacy Policy

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Archives

Copyright© 2023 Free Spirit English