call a spade a spade

The story

1. Ancient Greek · calque ofτὰ σῦκα σῦκα, τὴν σκάφην δὲ σκάφην ὀνομάσων“calling figs figs, and a trough a trough”
2. English todaycall a spade a spade

A mistaken translation of Ancient Greek τὰ σῦκα σῦκα, τὴν σκάφην δὲ σκάφην ὀνομάσων (tà sûka sûka, tḕn skáphēn dè skáphēn onomásōn, “calling figs figs, and a trough a trough”). The word σκάφη (skáphē, “trough”) was mistranslated by the Renaissance scholar Desiderius Erasmus as σκαφείον (skapheíon, “digging tool”).