call a spade a shovel

verb

To put it more than bluntly; to express a truth forcefully; to use exaggerated language to make a statement of fact.

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Meanings

verbcall a spade a shovel (third-person singular simple present calls a spade a shovel, present participle calling a spade a shovel, simple past and past participle called a spade a shovel)

present singular third person calls a spade a shovel · participle present calling a spade a shovel · participle past called a spade a shovel · past called a spade a shovel

  1. To put it more than bluntly; to express a truth forcefully; to use exaggerated language to make a statement of fact.

Origin

From call a spade a spade.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

call a spade a shovel. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20a%20spade%20a%20shovel

MLA

“call a spade a shovel.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20a%20spade%20a%20shovel. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “call a spade a shovel,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/call%20a%20spade%20a%20shovel.

Source: call a spade a shovel on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.