Meaning: To speak frankly and directly about something, even if unpleasant
Hindi: स्पष्ट रूप से सच बोलना
Synonyms: be direct, speak frankly, be blunt
Antonyms: beat around the bush, be evasive
Asked in: SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level) · SSC CGL 2024 T-1 · SSC CHSL 2021 T-1 · SSC CHSL 2019 T-1
call a spade a spade in SSC previous-year questions
- SSC CGL 2024 T-1 Idioms & Phrases
Select the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom in the following sentence.
Instead of confusing others, let us call a spade a spade in front of the audience.Answer & explanation
Answer: D) Speak truthfully
Correct Answer: Speak truthfully
Explanation: The idiom "call a spade a spade" means to speak honestly and directly, without avoiding the truth or using euphemisms. In the given sentence, it suggests being clear and truthful in front of the audience. - SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level) Idioms & Phrases
Select the option that shows the grammatically and lexically correct form of the idiom meaning “to speak with absolute candour, describing something completely truthfully and directly, even if it is unpleasant.”
Answer & explanation
Answer: A) To call a spade a spade
Meaning: to call a spade a spade = to speak plainly and honestly, without softening an unpleasant truth *(साफ़-साफ़ कहना, खरी-खरी कहना)*.
Idioms are fixed: the word is always spade *(फावड़ा/कुदाल)* — no other tool may be substituted.
Origin.
From ancient Greek (quoted by Plutarch) — *to call a fig a fig, a trough a trough*; Erasmus' 16th-century Latin rendering turned the "trough" into a spade, and that form entered English.
Why the others are wrong.
#B shovel = a broad scoop for moving loose material *(बेलचा)* — a near-synonym of spade, but the idiom's wording is fixed.
#B clover = a small three-leaved plant *(तिपतिया घास)* — belongs to *in clover* (living in comfort), not this idiom.
#B
Examples
- “I like him because he calls a spade a spade.”
call a spade a spade – questions
What is the meaning of call a spade a spade in Hindi?
call a spade a spade means “स्पष्ट रूप से सच बोलना” in Hindi. In English: To speak frankly and directly about something, even if unpleasant
What are the synonyms of call a spade a spade?
Synonyms of call a spade a spade: be direct, speak frankly, be blunt.
What is the opposite of call a spade a spade?
Antonyms of call a spade a spade: beat around the bush, be evasive.
Has call a spade a spade been asked in SSC exams?
Yes – call a spade a spade has been asked 4 times in SSC exams: SSC Selection Post Ph-14 2026 (Graduate Level), SSC CGL 2024 T-1, SSC CHSL 2021 T-1, SSC CHSL 2019 T-1.