call a spade a spade

Etymology
A mistaken translation of. The word was mistranslated by the Renaissance scholar  as.

Verb

 * 1)  To put it bluntly, to be outspoken; to speak the truth, to say things as they really are.

Usage notes

 * Some take offence at this expression because one sense of is an ethnic slur for a black person. However, this expression long predates the racial use of, and is etymologically unrelated: this expression refers to the digging implement, while the racial slur derives from the playing card suit.

Translations

 * Arabic: سَمَّى الْأَشْياءَ بِمُسَمَّياتِهَا
 * Armenian: խոսքը սար ու ձոր չգցել, սար ու ձոր չընկնել
 * Belarusian: называ́ць рэ́чы сваі́мі імёнамі
 * Chinese:
 * Mandarin: ,
 * Czech: nazvat věc pravým jménem, nazývat věci pravými jmény
 * Danish: kalde en spade for en spade
 * Dutch: zeggen zoals het is, de dingen bij hun naam noemen, man en paard noemen,
 * Finnish: puhua asioista niiden oikeilla nimillä, kutsua asioita niiden oikeilla nimillä, mainitakseen asian oikealla nimellään, olla suorasanainen, olla suorasukainen, olla suorapuheinen; suomeksi sanottuna, totta puhuen
 * French:
 * German:, die Dinge beim Namen nennen, , es auf gut Deutsch sagen
 * Greek:
 * Hungarian: nevén nevezi a gyereket
 * Irish: ná baintear an t-ainm den bhairín, den bhlonag
 * Italian: dire pane al pane e vino al vino
 * Japanese: ありのまま言う, 歯に衣着せぬ
 * Norwegian:
 * Bokmål: kalle en spade for en spade
 * Nynorsk: kalle ein spade for ein spade
 * Polish:
 * Portuguese:
 * Russian:
 * Scottish Gaelic: dìreach ann an cainnt
 * Slovak: nazývať veci pravými menami
 * Spanish: llamar al pan, pan, y al vino, vino, llamar las cosas por su nombre
 * Swedish: en spade är en spade
 * Ukrainian: назива́ти ре́чі свої́ми імена́ми