Select the most appropriate meaning of the highlighted idiom.

The employee took the manager’s remark with a pinch of salt.

Doubt the truth or value of something

The most appropriate meaning of the highlighted idiom in the given sentence is doubt the truth or value of something.

The idiom "take with a pinch of salt" is used to express skepticism or doubt about something that someone has said. It is thought to have originated from the idea of taking a small amount of salt with food to improve the flavor, but not so much that it would overpower the taste of the food.

In the given sentence, the employee is saying that they do not believe the manager's remark. They are taking it with a grain of salt, meaning that they are not fully accepting it as true.

The other options are not accurate descriptions of the meaning of the idiom.

• Distasteful and boring: This idiom is more accurately described as "tedious."
• Going for the truth: This idiom is more accurately described as "being honest."
• Ever ready to condemn someone: This idiom is not related to the idiom "take with a pinch of salt."