"Call a spade a spade"

[nq:1]This idiomatic phrase is said to be a mistranslation of a Greek saying, "Call a bowl a bowl," meaning "Speak ... a bowl or spade of all things can be figuratively used to say "speak frankly and bulantly. " YAMAOKA Michio[/nq]
That's the first time I'd heard that a mistranslation was involved in the saying "to call a spade a spade." Michael Quinion confirms it, in his World Wide Words

How about the variation on this: to call a spade a shovel?

Titian

[nq:1]This idiomatic phrase is said to be a mistranslation of a Greek saying, "Call a bowl a bowl," meaning "Speak frankly and bluntly." I wonder how a bowl or spade of all things can be figuratively used to say "speak frankly and bulantly. "[/nq]
I think it can also imply a certain lack of pretension. A contrasting example would be the woman in the RP comedy Keeping Up Appearances , who calle

[nq:2]This idiomatic phrase is said to be a mistranslation of ... be figuratively used to say "speak frankly and bulantly. "[/nq]
[nq:1]I think it can also imply a certain lack of pretension.[/nq]
Yes.
"Call a spade a spade" is a call to avoid circumlocutions or euphemisms.
[nq:1]A contrasting example would be the woman in the RP comedy Keeping Up Appearances , who called a bucket

-The saying in England (where I lived the first half of my life) was "Call a spade a spade and not a ****** shovel." Not that that helps you much.

raffer
Cut plug to reply

[nq:1]How about the variation on this: to call a spade a shovel? Titian[/nq]
Seems to be used to mean the same thing but it reads to me as a blunder on the order of "I could care less", since a spade is not a shovel (see http://www.nepalnews.com/ntimes/issue129/undermyhat.htm)

Chris G

On the other hand, Jimmy Buffet pronounces his name buffit, and not buffay. If he used the latter, people would always want more foot when they visited. (I wonder how his ancestors pronounced it, especially in Europe.)
s/ meirman If you are emailing me please
say if you are posting the same response.
Born west of Pittsburgh Pa. 10 years
Indianapolis, 7 years
Chicago, 6 years

[nq:1]How about the variation on this: to call a spade a shovel? Titian[/nq]
My mother made a point to tell me that what we had was a spade and not a shovel. I've never checked to see if she is right, but the blade of ours is rectangular at the end, with a flat, straight, leading edge, not rounded and pointed like the shovels I've seen. Ours, which was probably bought new 59 years ago and I st

[nq:1]On the other hand, Jimmy Buffet pronounces his name buffit, and not buffay. If he used the latter, people would always want more foot when they visited. (I wonder how his ancestors pronounced it, especially in Europe.)[/nq]
Surely you meant "food," not "foot."
I'm Gary Eickmeier, and I approved this message.

[nq:2]On the other hand, Jimmy Buffet pronounces his name buffit, ... (I wonder how his ancestors pronounced it, especially in Europe.)[/nq]
[nq:1]Surely you meant "food," not "foot." I'm Gary Eickmeier, and I approved this message.[/nq]
If I may be allowed to step on meirman's joke, the traditional English pronunciation of "Buffet" is just as Jimmy Buffet pronounces his name. The word "bu