Appeler un chat un chat


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French Expression

Meaning	to call a spade a spade, to tell it like it is, to speak plainly
Literally	to call a cat a cat
Register	normal
Pronunciation		[ah peu lay oo(n) shah oo(n) shah]
IPA		[a pə le œ̃ ʃa œ̃ ʃa]

Usage notes: Euphemisms have their uses and avoiding certain topics can be diplomatic, but sometimes you just need to call a spade a spade or, as the French say, appeler un chat un chat. Using precise language is sometimes the best thing you can do to get your point across.

Par exemple…

Tu as raté l’examen parce qu’il était difficile, ou bien parce que tu n’as pas étudié ? Allez, appelle un chat un chat !		You failed the test because it was hard, or because you didn’t study? Come on, be honest about it!
Il n’a pas faim ? Appelons un chat un chat, il n’aime pas ma cuisine !		He’s not hungry? Let’s call a spade a spade, he just doesn’t like my cooking!

More French expressions with chat

Au fait

The expression "to call a spade a spade," in which "spade" refers to a sturdy shovel, has been around since the 1540s, long before the word was first used as a racial slur in 1928.
Source: Online Etymology Dictionary