grain of salt

view a statement with a skeptical attitude

shrug

shrug

–verb (used with object)
1. to raise and contract (the shoulders), expressing indifference, disdain, etc.
–verb (used without object)
2. to raise and contract the shoulders.
–noun
3. the movement of raising and contracting the shoulders.
4. a short sweater or jacket that ends above or at the waistline.
—Verb phrase
5. shrug off,
a. to disregard; minimize: to shrug off an insult.
b. to rid oneself of: to shrug off the effects of a drug.

hush-hush

hush-hush
highly secret or confidential: a hush-hush political investigation.

parable

1. a short allegorical story designed to illustrate or teach some truth, religious principle, or moral lesson.
2. a statement or comment that conveys a meaning indirectly by the use of comparison, analogy, or the like