# Crocodile tears (insincere tears)



## Radioh

In Vietnam, we have a common expression "khóc *nước mắt cá sấu*", which means "to weep *crocodile tears*"(to weep insincerely). And I've just known that in English, the phrase *crocodile tears* is also used to describe *insincere tears*. Therefore, the expression in English is the same as in Vietnamese. Very interesting! 
Does your language have this expression ? Does your language also use *crocodile tears* in this expression ?


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## apmoy70

We have it in Greek too:


*«Κροκοδίλεια/κροκοδίλια* (both spellings are equally common) *δάκρυα»* [kroko'ðili.a 'ðakri.a] --> _crocodilian tears_. The phrase is in use since 1892.

* «Κροκόδειλος»* and *«κροκόδιλος»* [kroko'ðilos] (masc.) < Classical masc. noun *«κροκόδῑλος» krŏkódīlŏs* and *«κροκόδειλος» krŏkódeilŏs* --> _lizard, crocodile_ with unclear etymology (possibly from *«κρόκη» krókē* (fem.) --> _gravel_ + *«δρῖλος/δρεῖλος» drîlŏs* and *dreîlŏs* (masc.) --> _worm, verpus_; «κροκόδρειλος» > «κροκόδειλος» after dissimilation). 

*«Δάκρυ/δάκρυα»* ['ðakri] (neut. nom. sing.), ['ðakri.a] (neut. nom. pl.) --> _tear/tears_ < Classical neut. noun *«δάκρῠ» dákrŭ* --> _tear, drop_ (PIE *drḱ-/*h2ḱru-, _tear_ cf Skt. अश्रु (azru), _tear_; Lat. lacruma (and lacrima), _tear_; Proto-Germanic  *tahrą > Ger. Träne/Zähre, Eng. tear, Dt. teer, Is. tár, Nor./Swe./D. tår).


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## bibax

Czech:

*roniti krokodýlí slzy* = to shed crocodile tears;

The ancient people believed that the crocodiles (aka cocodrills) were shedding insincere tears while eating prey.


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## Radioh

bibax said:


> ...The ancient people believed that the crocodiles (aka cocodrills) were shedding insincere tears while eating prey.


Very interesting! I didn't even know why we say "crocodile tears"


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## rusita preciosa

Russian: *лить крокодиловы слёзы */lit' krokodilovy sliozy/ - lit. to pour crocodile's tears

(I think it has to do with saliva glands on crocs being under their eyes so the saliva looks like tears when they eat - or something like that... )


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## ahmedcowon

It's also used in Arabic with the same meaning:

دموع التماسيح /domou3 at-tamaasiih/ - crocodiles' tears


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## tFighterPilot

Hebrew: דמעות תנין /dma'ót tanín/ "Aligator's tears"


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## arielipi

tFighterPilot said:


> Hebrew: דמעות תנין /dma'ót tanín/ "Aligator's tears"


A worthy mention is קוזק נגזל kozaq nigzal - a person who cries when something bad happens to him (while actually he is a bad person)


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## ancalimon

In Turkish: timsah gözyaşları (alligator tears)

http://galeri2.uludagsozluk.com/383/timsah-gozyasi_360212.jpg


> -Please don't leave me. I love you!
> -You can't fool me with those alligator  tears.
> -There are not alligator tears. Well they are but they are not!


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## Paulfromitaly

We do say "lacrime di coccodrillo" also in Italian.


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## Radioh

He, interesting  It seems that our ancestors shared the same thought on this expression.


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## ancalimon

Radioh said:


> He, interesting  It seems that our ancestors shared the same thought on this expression.



I guess we all got this from people living around crocodiles.


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## arielipi

ancalimon said:


> In Turkish: timsah gözyaşları (alligator tears)
> 
> http://galeri2.uludagsozluk.com/383/timsah-gozyasi_360212.jpg


in hebrew timsakh is also a word for alligator.


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## tFighterPilot

tFighterPilot said:


> Hebrew: דמעות תנין /dma'ót tanín/ "Aligator's tears"


Just wanted to correct myself. Apparently תנין is Crocodile and not Alligator (which is not native to the region)


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## Radioh

ancalimon said:


> I guess we all got this from people living around crocodiles.


Good point, anca.





tFighterPilot said:


> Just wanted to correct myself. Apparently תנין is Crocodile and not Alligator (which is not native to the region)


May I be a bit off-topic ? I've always thought that an alligator is a crocodile that lives in America. Am I right ?


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## OneStroke

Chinese: 貓哭老鼠 (trad.) 猫哭老鼠 (simp.) māo kū lǎoshǔ 'The cat cries for the mouse'


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## Radioh

OneStroke said:


> Chinese: 貓哭老鼠 (trad.) 猫哭老鼠 (simp.) māo kū lǎoshǔ 'The cat cries for the mouse'



Ah, we also have this idiom, i.e. "mèo khóc chuột".


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## ilocas2

Spanish:

*lágrimas de cocodrilo*


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## Nawaq

Crocodile tears here too, _larmes de crocodile_.


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## Dymn

Catalan: *llàgrimes de cocodril*


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## Sardokan1.0

Same expression here too

Italian : *lacrime di coccodrillo*

Sardinian : *lagrimas de coccodrillu*


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## 810senior

As long as I know, we Japanese don't have a figurative one with an animal metaphor.

そら涙sora-namida : lit. false tear


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## ilocas2

Croatian: *krokodilske suze*


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## arbokas

Lithuanian: *Krokodilo ašaros

*


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## GabrielH

We do say it in portuguese too.

*lágrimas de crocodilo*


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## Sowka

German: *Krokodilstränen vergießen*.


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## franknagy

_Hungarian:
krokodilkönnyeket_ hullat


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## Testing1234567

Apart from 貓哭老鼠, in Chinese we also say 鱷魚淚 (crocodile tears). We even have a song in Hong Kong with that title.


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