You’ve been hearing all the news about it. Russia accusing Ukraine of trying to kill Vladmir Putin. Ukraine denying it. And some saying the drone attack was staged by Putin himself to give Russia justification to try to kill Zelensky.
Wherever the truth lies, the words Secretary of State Antony Blinken used when asked about it may have confused people.
Blinken said that any claims by Moscow should be taken with a “large shaker of salt.” If you were confused by what he said, it’s because what he said probably wasn’t what he meant to say.
You see, when expressing doubt or skepticism about something, the actual term is ““take it with a grain of salt”.
Dictionary folks and word experts say the phrase “a grain of salt” originated when a Roman Empire military commander used it to describe an antidote for a poison that needed to be taken with "a grain of salt".
The phrase has evolved through the centuries, to today, with people in some parts of the world even saying not a "grain of salt" but a "pinch of salt". But it means the same. Take what you hear with lots of doubt that it is true.
So when the Secretary of State said what the Russians said about the drone attack using the phrase “a large shaker of salt”, that might suggest that he is not as doubtful about it as those who don’t give it even a grain or pinch of salt that it is true.
You see, words can matter, and with many words misused these days, knowing what words mean can mean a lot.
(Photo Getty Images)
Photo: Getty Images