call a spade a spade

动词 v.
中文释义

英文释义

动词 v.
  1. To put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to describe things as they really are. idiomatic
    — Maybe God just calls a spade a spade, when the president talks to God.

词形变化

calls a spade a spade present,singular,third-person calling a spade a spade participle,present called a spade a spade participle,past called a spade a spade past call a spade a spade and a shovel a shovel alternative call a shovel a shovel alternative,rare call a spade a spade, not a big spoon alternative call a spoon a “spoon” and a spade a “spade” alternative,rare

词源

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”).
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