Literal translation
“Let’s call a cat a cat”
English equivalence
“Let’s call a spade a spade!”
Listen to the pronunciation
Explanation / Comment
Why call a cat by a different name?
That’s the point!
Don’t be shy: use this idiom to prompt you to be direct, to speak frankly.
Sometimes it’s better to tell it like it is rather than beating about the bush.
Example
🇫🇷 “Appelons un chat un chat : cet homme est insupportable !”
🇬🇧 “Let’s call a spade a spade: this man is unbearable!“
