this phrase means to say something the way it is
to not dress the truth up and speak in a straight forward manner
it is used when the description of something is given in an honest manner
That dress made her look fat, let’s call a spade a spade before she goes out wearing it and embarrasses herself.
He failed the exam twice. If you were to call a spade a spade then you would not push him to give it again.
Parents are often reluctant to see any faults in their children. It is always better to call a spade a spade rather than spoiling the children with this behaviour.
There is no origin for this idiom
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definition
Common phrase that has a specific meaning.