Why do we say "Call A Spade A Spade"?

Well-Known Expressions

Call A Spade A Spade

Meaning:

Speak plainly, don't use euphemisms

Background:

This phrase has been traced as far back as ancient Greece. The playwright Menander (approx 342-292 b.c.) is quoted as saying:

"I call a fig a fig, a spade a spade"
Some people attribute this saying to Aristophanes (approx 450-385 b.c.)

Alphabetical list of expressions

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