What does it mean to have “crocodile tears”?
Crocodile tears is an expression that usually means someone is being insincere. Crying crocodile tears means that that person isn’t actually sad or feeling the emotion they are displaying, but are trying to use the emotion to other ends. Recent usage of this expression showed up in the Wall Street Journal, referencing a few companies that publically expressed sorrow, despite having more nefarious purposes. Parents of toddlers know that crocodile tears are a tool used by nearly every 2 to 5-year-old on the planet! When they don’t get their way, the crocodile tears are sure to flow. Even with the usage of the expression being so commonplace, most people have no idea how the phrase came to be. Let’s take a look at its strange history.
Where did the expression originally come from?
Like many words and phrases, the exact history isn’t clear-cut. Still, there are some things that history can tell us. The origins can be split into two categories: biological and linguistic.
Biological origin
The biological aspect of the phrase makes a lot of sense. When crocodiles have been out of water for an extended period of time, they have a biological mechanism that triggers tear ducts to produce tears. This is done to prevent their eyes from drying out, especially while on land. This lubrication helps them to blink and see when they aren’t in water. Additionally (and maybe more importantly), there is some research that shows that these tear ducts may be activated when the crocodiles are feeding. If a group of people that just watched their friend just get snapped up by a croc saw this, it makes sense they would consider the crocodile to be crying! In the same way that humans may cry when they have a big yawn or stretch, crocodiles may cry when they are feeding.
Linguistic spread
The first widespread English usage of the phrase likely began around the 14th century during the Middle Ages. The people of the day believed that crocodiles who killed and ate humans would actually weep for their victims, despite continuing on with their “meal” anyways. Still, despite becoming a popular English phrase in the 14th century, it may have roots that predate even that. Some reports have Plutarch, the ancient philosopher and writer from the first century AD, using the phrase in his writings. Plutarch spoke Latin, however, and the phrase wasn’t translated into English until much later. The first time that the phrase crocodile tears was widely used in English was around the 14th century when Sir John Mandeville used it in his storybook. Once the phrase was translated and used in English writing, it was further used and given a Christian spin by the theologian Photios who used it to talk about true repentance.
Modern use
From its Latin roots to English translation, crocodile tears was further popularized by Shakespeare. In fact, Shakespeare references crocodile tears in Othello, during Act 4. Further still, Shakespeare uses the phrase in Henry VI, Antony and Cleopatra, and more. At the same time, other playwrights began using the term to represent false intentions and sorrow. Soon, it became a regularly used phrase that was passed down until modern times.
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