English
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 medieval scholar Desiderius Erasmus as σκαφείον ( skapheíon , “ digging tool ” ) .
Pronunciation
Verb
call a spade a spade third-person singular simple present calls a spade a spade present participle calling a spade a spade simple past and past participle called a spade a spade
( idiomatic ) put it bluntly , to be outspoken ; to speak the truth, to say things as they really are.
Usage notes
Some take offence at this expression because one sense of spade spade , and is etymologically unrelated: this expression refers to the digging instrument, the racial designation refers to the card suit.
Coordinate terms
Translations
to speak the truth
Arabic: سَمَّى الْأَشْياءَ بِمُسَمَّياتِهَا ( sammā l-ʔašyāʔa bimusammayātihā , literally “ to call the things by their names ” )
Armenian: խոսքը սար ու ձոր չգցել ( xoskʻə sar u jor čʻgcʻel , literally “ not to go to mountains or valleys ” ) , սար ու ձոր չընկնել ( sar u jor čʻənknel , literally “ not to fall into mountains or valleys ” )
Chinese:
Mandarin: 實話實說 ／ 实话实说 (zh) ( shíhuàshíshuō ) , 实话实说 (zh) ( shíhuàshíshuō , literally “ to really speak the truth ” ) , 直言不諱 ／ 直言不讳 (zh) ( zhíyánbùhuì ) , 直言不讳 (zh) ( zhíyánbùhuì )
Czech: nazvat věc pravým jménem ( literally “ call it by its real name ” )
Danish: kalde en spade for en spade
Dutch: zeggen zoals het is ( literally “ to say as it is ” ) , de dingen bij hun naam noemen ( literally “ to call things by their names ” ) , man en paard noemen ( literally “ to call man and horse ” ) , ( Belgium ) een kat een kat noemen ( literally “ to call a cat a cat ” )
Finnish: suomeksi sanottuna ( literally “ saying in Finnish ” ) , totta puhuen ( literally “ talking true ” ) , kutsua asioita niiden oikeilla nimillä puhua asioista niiden oikeilla nimillä mainitakseen asian oikealla nimellään ( literally “ to call things by their names ” ) , olla suorasanainen olla suorasukainen ( literally “ to be straightforward ” ) , olla suorapuheinen ( literally “ to be outspoken ” )
French: appeler un chat un chat (fr) ( literally “ to call a cat a cat ” )
German: das Kind beim Namen nennen (de) ( literally “ to call the child by its name ” ) , die Dinge beim Namen nennen ( literally “ to call things by their names ” ) , kein Blatt vor den Mund nehmen (de) ( literally “ not to put a leaf in front of one's mouth ” ) , es auf gut Deutsch sagen ( literally “ to say it in good/true German ” )
Greek: λέω τα σύκα σύκα και τη σκάφη σκάφη (el) ( léo ta sýka sýka kai ti skáfi skáfi , literally “ to tell figs ‘figs’ and a trough ‘trough’ ” )
Hungarian: nevén nevezi a gyereket ( literally “ name a child by his name ” )
(deprecated template usage ) {{trans-mid }}Irish: ná baintear an t-ainm den bhairín, den bhlonag ( literally “ not to call a loaf ‘lard’ ” )
Italian: dire pane al pane e vino al vino ( literally “ to say ‘bread’ to bread and ‘wine’ to wine ” )
Japanese: ありのまま言う ( ari no mama iu , literally “ to say as it is ” ) , 歯に衣着せぬ ( ha ni kinu kisenu , literally “ not to dress teeth ” )
Norwegian:
Bokmål: kalle en spade for en spade ( literally “ to call a spade a spade ” )
Nynorsk: kalle ein spade for ein spade ( literally “ to call a spade a spade ” )
Polish: nazywać rzeczy po imieniu (pl) ( literally “ to call things by their names ” )
Portuguese: pão, pão, queijo, queijo (pt) ( literally “ bread [is] bread, cheese [is] cheese ” )
Russian: называ́ть ве́щи свои́ми имена́ми ( nazyvátʹ véšči svoími imenámi , literally “ call things by their names ” )
Spanish: llamar al pan, pan, y al vino, vino ( literally “ to call bread ‘bread’ and wine ‘wine’ ” )
Swedish: en spade är en spade ( literally “ a spade is a spade ” )
References
