It’s been a very long time since I indulged myself in language-play in this space. (No, I’ll spare you any puns…this time.) You’ve probably heard people being accused of shedding “crocodile tears,” meaning crying fake tears to look like they’re sorrowful Odd phrase. Here’s how it came about:
Yes, this phrase really does relate to crocodiles. In medieval times, people believed that, as crocodiles killed and ate their prey, they shed tears, as though they were sad. The idea came from The Travels of Sir John Mandeville. That 14th century book includes a description by a knight who, while in Asia, gives a fanciful description of crocodiles crying as they consumed men. Later, in the 16th century, Shakespeare picked up the idea and “crocodile tears” became a permanent fixture in the English language.
If I were you, though, I wouldn’t get close enough to a crocodile to determine if there’s any truth at all to this phrase.
