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A comment on Please, call a spade a spade. Parent comment
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_call_a_spade_a_spade)
> The phrase predates the use of the word "spade" as an ethnic slur against African Americans, which was not recorded until 1928; however, in contemporary U.S. society, the idiom is often avoided due to potential confusion with the slur.
Nitty Gritty:
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1988776.stm)
(http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/nitty-gritty.html)
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(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_call_a_spade_a_spade)
> The phrase predates the use of the word "spade" as an ethnic slur against African Americans, which was not recorded until 1928; however, in contemporary U.S. society, the idiom is often avoided due to potential confusion with the slur.
Nitty Gritty:
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1988776.stm)
(http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/nitty-gritty.html)