# call a spade a shovel

> English word · Verb

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

## Etymology
From call a spade a spade.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/call-a-spade-a-shovel