proverb · Words worth keeping
call a spade a spade.
call a spade a spade.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The phrase asks for plain naming instead of evasive description. In the checked idiomatic sense, it favours speaking directly about what one means.
What the words are saying
The repeated tool name makes straightforward identification the image of candour. A useful application can replace a vague label with a specific, supported description. Directness does not make an assertion accurate or excuse an insult; evidence and attention to the listener still matter.
Everyday example
A team names a missed deadline clearly instead of using a vague phrase that hides what happened.
When to use it
Use it to discuss precise, respectful candour rather than bluntness for its own sake.
What it does not mean
Plain wording does not prove truth or justify disparagement; no origin is established.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 81; PDF page 16
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.