call a spade a spade

短语

直言不讳

发音

AU

词形变化

call a shovel a shovel called a spade a spade called a spade a spade, not a big spoon calling a spade a spade calling a spade a spade, not a big spoon calls a spade a spade 三单 calls a spade a spade calls a spade a spade, not a big spoon calling a spade a spade 现在分词 called a spade a spade 过去式 called a spade a spade 过去分词

别名

call a spade a spade and a shovel a shovel call a shovel a shovel call a spade a spade, not a big spoon call a spoon a “spoon” and a spade a “spade”

释义与例句

v.
  1. 1.

    To put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to describe things as they really are.

    实话实说

    直言不讳

    习语

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”).

来源：wiktionary