call a spade a shovel

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English

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Alternative forms

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Etymology

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From call a spade a spade.

Verb

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call a spade a shovel (third-person singular simple present calls a spade a shovel, present participle calling a spade a shovel, simple past and past participle called a spade a shovel)

  1. To put it more than bluntly; to express a truth forcefully; to use exaggerated language to make a statement of fact.