What does it mean when you say call a spade a spade?
phrase. If you say that someone calls a spade a spade, you mean that they speak clearly and directly about things, even embarrassing or unpleasant things.
How do you use call a spade a spade in a sentence?
Example Sentences That dress made her look fat, let’s call a spade a spade before she goes out wearing it and embarrasses herself. He failed the exam twice. If you were to call a spade a spade then you would not push him to give it again.
Is a spade a shovel?
People often mistakenly use the word shovel interchangeably with spade but shovel is a generic term for a variety of tools that include numerous broad-bottomed versions for moving loose materials, such as a “coal shovel”, “snow shovel”, “grain shovel”, etc., whereas spades tend to have a sharpened edge, curved profile.
What is another way to say call a spade a spade?
What is another word for call a spade a spade?
| be direct | be blunt |
|---|---|
| be candid | be straightforward |
| be to the point | shoot from the hip |
| speak frankly | speak honestly |
| pull no punches | come clean |
What does the ace of spades stand for?
In the French fortune-telling tradition, an Ace of Spades indicates bad luck or death in one’s future. The troops who received the Ace of Spades-only decks reportedly used them as a means of promoting fear among the Viet Cong.
Where does the term in spades originate from?
The idiom in spades is a reference to the suit in a deck of cards. Spades is the highest ranking suit in the game of bridge, a popular card game in the 1920s. The expression in spades to mean abundance came into use in the United States during this time, along with many other idioms.
What is the importance of spade?
Spade is a tool used for digging straight-edged holes or trenches, slicing and lifting sod, and edging flower beds or lawns.
What is a garden spade best for?
Garden spade tools are used for light cultivation not earth moving, and the shape of the blade helps cut sod, reshape beds and digging out deeper planting holes. There are numerous types of specialty spades, with specialized purposes. You can also select from many types of handle and blade materials.
Is Ace of Spades good luck?
In World War II the soldiers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the American 101st Airborne Division were marked with the spades symbol painted on the sides of their helmet. In this capacity, it was used to represent good luck, due to its fortunate connotations in card playing.
Why is the queen of spades bad luck?
What does a queen of spades represent in cartomancy? According to Latin Cards, the queen of spades evoked a very hostile, lonely, and negative woman. The queen of spades is jealous and mean, and will stand next to the king of spades while creating conflict.
What does pay back in spades mean?
By extension beyond cards, “in spades” expresses a decisive, complete, no-doubt defeat. If I suffer a (real or imagined) injury from you, and I retaliate with disproportionate vigor, I have paid you back “in spades.”
What does call a spade a spade mean?
Meaning
What is a spade called?
To ‘call a spade a spade’, or, ‘to call a spade a shovel’ are both forms of the figurative expression which requests that the speaker should, or has, called a person, place or thing, by the most suitable name it could have without any reservation to the feelings or strained formalities that may result from its use.
What is the origin of a spade?
Early Origins of the Spade family. The surname Spade was first found in Bavaria, where the name Spaeth was anciently associated with the tribal conflicts of the area.
What does 2 of Spades mean?
Spades – Labor – Wisdom – Health. Two of Spade Meaning: Partnership in Work. Karma for the 2 of Spade: Fear of Unity. Two of Spade people are quick thinkers, sociable, and very direct. They are also hard workers, but are never very easy to work with.