He is known for his unscrupulous ways. He always sheds____ tears to deceive people.
Crocodile Tears Idiom Meaning
The question asks to complete the sentence: "He is known for his unscrupulous ways. He always sheds____ tears to deceive people." This requires understanding a common English idiom.
Understanding the Idiom
The phrase "crocodile tears" refers to tears that are shed insincerely; it means pretending to be sad or remorseful when you are not. This idiom is used to describe someone who is being deceitful or manipulative.
The person in the question is described as having "unscrupulous ways" and using tears "to deceive people," which perfectly matches the meaning of the "crocodile tears" idiom.
Analyzing the Options
- Option 1 & 4 (fox's / fox): Foxes are associated with cunning, but the idiom "crocodile tears" is specific to feigning sadness.
- Option 2 (crocodile's): While related, the standard idiom is "crocodile tears," not typically "crocodile's tears." The word "crocodile" functions as a modifier for "tears."
- Option 3 (crocodile): This fits the standard idiom "sheds crocodile tears," where "crocodile" acts as the descriptor for the type of insincere tears being shed.
Conclusion
Based on the established idiom for feigning sadness to deceive, the correct word to fill in the blank is "crocodile."
Important Questions from Idioms & Phrases
- Which of the following is/are (an) example(s) that exhibit(s) ‘Metaphorical Extension’ (a mechanism by which the meaning of existing words can change)?
He turned a deaf ear to my request.
What does the underlined phrasal verb mean?
- Consider the idiom 'Time flies like an arrow'. Which idiom below is closest in meaning to this one?
- The movie was funny and I ________.
- Fill in the blank with the correct idiom/phrase.
That boy from the town was a __________ in the sleepy village.
