Crocodile tears

Meaning

The idiom "crocodile tears" refers to fake or insincere tears that are shed by someone for the purpose of deceiving or manipulating others. It suggests that the person is not truly sorry or affected, but is only pretending to be in order to gain sympathy or benefit from others.

Usage

• She shed crocodile tears when she found out her colleague got the promotion she had been hoping for.
• Don't believe him when he says he's sorry; his apologies are nothing but crocodile tears.
• He put on crocodile tears when he realized his mistake, but it was too late to make amends.
• The politician shed crocodile tears during the campaign speech, but his actions did not match his words.
• She pretended to be sad when she found out her friend couldn't make it to the party, but in reality, she wasn't affected at all.

Roots and History

The idiom "crocodile tears" dates back to the 16th century and has its roots in the animal kingdom. Crocodiles are known for shedding tears from their eyes when they are agitated or angry. However, these tears are not actually real, but rather a reflexive response that does not indicate genuine emotion. In the 16th century, people began using this behavior as an analogy for fake or insincere tears shed by humans. The idiom has since become a common expression used to describe someone who is pretending to be sorry or affected in order to gain sympathy or benefit from others.

Synonyms in English

• Insincere apologies
• Fake tears
• Phoniness
• Hypocrisy
• Dishonesty

Synonyms in other languages

• Crocodile tears - Spanish (lagrimas de cocodrilo)
• Tears of a clown - German (Augen der Clown)
• False tears - French (larmes fausses)
• Nonsense - Italian (stupidità)
• Hypocrisy - Russian (хипокризия)

Similar Idioms

• cut the crap

• call names

• closed book