cry crocodile tears

cry crocodile tears

To display false, insincere, or hypocritical sadness or remorse. Derived from an ancient notion that a crocodile will weep to lure in its victims, or that it weeps as it eats them. Jessica cried crocodile tears over the expulsion of her rival, Jacob.
See also: crocodile, cry, tear
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

crocodile tears, crying/to cry

Pretended grief; hypocritical sorrow. The term comes from an ancient myth that a crocodile weeps while eating its prey. It was quoted by the English traveler Sir John Mandeville in 1400 but was already current far earlier, in Roman times. Indeed, the writer Spartianus, in his Lives of the Emperors (ca. a.d. 300), said that the Emperor Caracalla shed crocodile tears at the death of some of his enemies. The term was picked up by Shakespeare, Sir Francis Bacon, and numerous other writers, and was a cliché by the time Tennyson wrote, “Crocodiles wept tears for thee” (“A Dirge,” 1830).
See also: crocodile, cry, crying
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • crocodile tears, crying/to cry
  • shed crocodile tears
  • crocodile tears
  • ring false
  • ring true
  • ring true/false/hollow
  • ring hollow
  • lip service, to give/pay
  • pay lip service
  • cries
References in periodicals archive
Intensifying its attack on the Centre and the state BJP, the statement by the BJD said: "Union Ministers Dharmendra Pradhan, Jual Oram and the state BJP continues to cry crocodile tears for Odisha but just as it had promised special category for Odisha in 2014 and not provided it, or kept silent on Mahanadi and Polavaram issues, or spent IOCL and other PSU CSR funds for its political motives by Pradhan, the latest example of cutting off the Waltair division from ECoR is yet another attempt at destroying Odisha and its railway network."
BJD accuses Centre of destroying railways in Odisha by creation of SCoR at Vizag
Today, when Jerusalem is becoming more Jewish, they cry crocodile tears. "The city of Al-Quds is the capital city of the Islamic Caliphate, which is run properly," al-Khatib wrote.
'Jerusalem Will Be the Capital of the Islamic Caliphate'
" As long as the NYS scandal goes unresolved, and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission gives clearances to those favoured and builds pathetic cases against powerful people, while ignoring major scandals like the Eurobond, then deaths on the roads will continue.It is not enough to cry crocodile tears and appeal to the Gods when our people are being slaughtered on the roads.
Our problems will not be solved by the many cosmetic changes
While the Conservatives cry crocodile tears about a "Nat Tax", Labour say the Government haven't gone far enough.
Sensible tax move; Letters.
Our Tory MPs vote in London for the same cuts and cry crocodile tears when home in their constituencies.
'Crocodile tears'
In fact, the continued viability of that Authority is now in question, with the possibility that, as John Kerry, the US Secretary of State, claimed two weeks ago, it could "decide to disband as a result of their predicament, and that could happen in the near future." (Truth be told, not too many Palestinians will cry crocodile tears over that outcome.) And, yes, when will Israel pay reparations to the people of Palestine for all that suffering, death and destruction it has wreaked on them all these years?
Re-victimizing the victim
TORIES David Jones MP and Darren Millar AM cry crocodile tears over the new windfarm development at Clocaenog.
Let communities decide energy plans
Hiring a stranger to cry crocodile tears at a loved one's funeral sounds completely pointless to me - and a tad insulting to their memory and tasteless to boot.
Professional mourners? Brings a tear to the eye; FIONNUALA BOURKE Write to Fionnuala Bourke, Sunday Mercury, Floor 6, Fort Dunlop, Fort Parkway, Birmingham, B24 9FF or email fionnuala.bourke@sundaymercury.net
Instead they wave the white flag and cry crocodile tears as they lament the demise of public services.
Fight harder for council services; Letters
So I don't cry crocodile tears; I cry the real stuff.
I was small and scraggy.. that's when the bullying started. Each nasty little word cut deep; Jessica Ennis: My story
Western democracies cry crocodile tears over human rights violations, but are belied by their failure to stop financing human rights violations in occupied Palestine.
Palestinian plight exposes hypocrisy
It is disgraceful that other politicians cry crocodile tears or cheer on "our boys" when it suits, safe in the knowledge that their kids won't be on the front line.
Councillors were right to stay seated during ovation for soldier; viewpoint
Defense Minister Ehud Barak said on Monday that Hamas leaders should "watch their step, and not to cry crocodile tears if they force [Israel] to take action," adding that recent rocket fire from the Strip was not from Hamas, but from other groups which Hamas was failing to rein in.
Israel border fence does not concern us, says Egypt
Someone from New Orleans isn't likely to cry crocodile tears if you go on about Eugene's pothole problem or how much you miss Icky's Teahouse.
Strangers may indeed find this a strange land
Bush, Tony Blair, and other Western leaders as they wring their hands and cry crocodile tears over Saddam's many victims.
Web of deceit; the history of Western complicity in Iraq, from Churchill to Kennedy to George W. Bush