call a spade a spade en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Etymology
A mistaken translation of Ancient Greek τὰ σῦκα σῦκα, τὴν σκάφην δὲ σκάφην ὀνομάσων (tà sûka sûka, tḕn skáphēn dè skáphēn onomásōn, “calling figs figs, and a trough a trough”). The word σκάφη (skáphē, “trough”) was mistranslated by the Renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus as σκαφείον (skapheíon, “digging tool”).
Meanings
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(idiomatic) To put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to describe things as they really are.
Maybe God just calls a spade a spade, when the president talks to God.
2005, Bright Eyes, When the President Talks to God:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| call a spade a spade, not a big spoon | alternative | lexicographic | |
| call a shovel a shovel | alternative, rare | lexicographic | |
| calls a spade a spade | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic | |
| calling a spade a spade | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| call a spade a spade and a shovel a shovel | alternative | lexicographic | |
| call a spoon a “spoon” and a spade a “spade” | alternative, rare | lexicographic | |
| called a spade a spade | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| called a spade a spade | Tense=Past | lexicographic |
Coordinates
beat about the bush · call a spade a shovel · pull one's punches · tell it like it is · call it as one sees it · beat around the bush
Relateds
Translations (37)
fi totta puhuen (to speak the truth) · nl een kat een kat noemen (to speak the truth) · fi mainitakseen asian oikealla nimellään (to speak the truth) · fr appeler un chat un chat (to speak the truth) · de es auf gut Deutsch sagen (to speak the truth) · de das Kind beim Namen nennen (to speak the truth) · cs nazývat věci pravými jmény (to speak the truth) · cmn 直言不諱 /直言不讳 (to speak the truth) · pl nazywać rzeczy po imieniu (to speak the truth) · ga ná baintear an t-ainm den bhairín, den bhlonag (to speak the truth) · de die Dinge beim Namen nennen (to speak the truth) · sk nazývať veci pravými menami (to speak the truth) · fi puhua asioista niiden oikeilla nimillä (to speak the truth) · nl man en paard noemen (to speak the truth) · nl de dingen bij hun naam noemen (to speak the truth) · de kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen (to speak the truth) · it dire pane al pane e vino al vino (to speak the truth) · cs nazvat věc pravým jménem (to speak the truth) · es llamar las cosas por su nombre (to speak the truth) · gd dìreach ann an cainnt (to speak the truth) · hu nevén nevezi a gyereket (to speak the truth) · nn kalle ein spade for ein spade (to speak the truth) · vi gọi đích danh (to speak the truth) · pt pão, pão, queijo, queijo (to speak the truth) · cmn 實話實說 /实话实说 (to speak the truth) · da kalde en spade for en spade (to speak the truth) · fi suomeksi sanottuna (to speak the truth) · it parla come mangi (to speak the truth) · nl zeggen zoals het is (to speak the truth) · fi kutsua asioita niiden oikeilla nimillä (to speak the truth) · nb kalle en spade for en spade (to speak the truth) · fi olla suorapuheinen (to speak the truth) · es llamar al pan, pan, y al vino, vino (to speak the truth) · sv en spade är en spade (to speak the truth) · fi olla suorasanainen (to speak the truth) · sh reći popu pop, a bobu bob (to speak the truth) · fi olla suorasukainen (to speak the truth)