calling a spade a spade, not a big spoon

A form of call a spade a spade — To put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to describe things as they really are.

Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of call a spade a spade, not a big spoon
Cite this entry
APA

calling a spade a spade, not a big spoon. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calling%20a%20spade%20a%20spade%2C%20not%20a%20big%20spoon

MLA

“calling a spade a spade, not a big spoon.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calling%20a%20spade%20a%20spade%2C%20not%20a%20big%20spoon. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “calling a spade a spade, not a big spoon,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/calling%20a%20spade%20a%20spade%2C%20not%20a%20big%20spoon.

Source: calling a spade a spade, not a big spoon on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.