"Call a spade a spade" is a figurative expression. It refers to calling something "as it is"—that is, by its right or proper name, without "beating about the bush", but rather speaking truthfully, frankly, and directly about a topic; even to the point of bluntness or rudeness, and even if the subject is considered coarse, impolite, or unpleasant.
"Call a spade a spade" is a figurative expression. It refers to calling something "as it is"—that is, by its right or proper name, without "beating about the bush", but rather speaking truthfully, frankly, and directly about a topic; even to the point of bluntness or rudeness, and even if the subject is considered coarse, impolite, or unpleasant.
Source: Wikipedia "Call a spade a spade" · CC BY-SA 4.0
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