CROCODILE TEARS • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Crocodile tears

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/krˈɑkədˌaɪl tɛrz/ Listen

Crocodile tears

noun

A hypocritical display of sorrow; false or insincere weeping. "Politicians shed crocodile tears over the plight of the unemployed"

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Etymology of 'Crocodile tears'

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"Crocodile tears" Quotes from Famous Books

... troop of mummers in the course of the afternoon. When evening comes on, four of the mummers hold out a quilt or sheet by the corners, and the figure of the Carnival is made to tumble into it. The procession is then resumed, the performers weeping crocodile tears and emphasising the poignancy of their grief by the help of saucepans and dinner bells. Sometimes, again, in the Abruzzi the dead Carnival is personified by a living man who lies in a coffin, attended by another who acts the priest and dispenses holy water in great profusion ...

— The Golden Bough - A study of magic and religion • Sir James George Frazer

Words linked to "Crocodile tears" : lip service, hypocrisy