Take with a grain of salt

Altered image of a diner salt shaker
To take something with a grain of salt means to treat information with some doubt and not believe it completely. People use this idiom when talking about something that might be exaggerated, uncertain, or just not very reliable.

The idea comes from ancient Roman writings, where a recipe for a remedy included taking it with a small grain of salt. Over time the phrase came to mean accepting something cautiously rather than completely believing it.

He says he can finish the whole project in one day, but I would take it with a grain of salt.