Crocodiles Really Do Cry - Say What?!
Clip: Season 2023 | 4m 18sVideo has Closed Captions
Uncover the meaning and origins of animal idiom “Crocodile Tears" with Say What?!
If someone is pretending to be upset, you might say they’re crying “crocodile tears.” But where does that saying come from? And what does it have to do with a reptile that’s been around since the time of the dinosaurs, can grow more than 20 feet long, and can go through 4,000 teeth over a lifetime?
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Camp TV is a local public television program presented by THIRTEEN PBS
Crocodiles Really Do Cry - Say What?!
Clip: Season 2023 | 4m 18sVideo has Closed Captions
If someone is pretending to be upset, you might say they’re crying “crocodile tears.” But where does that saying come from? And what does it have to do with a reptile that’s been around since the time of the dinosaurs, can grow more than 20 feet long, and can go through 4,000 teeth over a lifetime?
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Learn Moreabout PBS online sponsorship[bright music] - [Narrator] Have you ever heard the saying "crocodile tears"?
What do you think that means?
- [Child] You cry so much it hurts?
- [Child] Your tears are colored green?
- [Child] Oh yeah, you say that when someone is faking it.
Like, pretending to cry.
- [Narrator] That's right!
If someone is pretending to be upset, you could say they're crying crocodile tears.
[Tommy sobs] - What's wrong, Tommy?
- Oh mother, I feel so sad that my older, wiser sister had to lose so badly to me in our chess game.
- Don't worry, Mom.
Those are "crocodile tears."
This is the first time he beat me, and he's doing a victory dance on the inside.
- Oh, yeah!
Checkmate!
I win!
- [Narrator] But, hold on.
What does a reptile, that's been around since the time of the dinosaurs, can grow more than 20 feet long, and might go through 4,000 teeth over a lifetime, have to do with, not just crying, but fake crying?
- [Crocodile] Oh, you humans have been talking about our tears for thousands of years.
- [Narrator] It's true.
The ancient Egyptians believed crocodiles in the Nile River would cry while eating a meal.
- [Zebra] People thought crocodiles pretended to be sad about eating us, even though they were actually delighted with how tasty we were!
- [Crocodile] Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum!
- [Narrator] By the late 1500's, the saying "crocodile tears," meaning pretend sadness, was used a lot in the English language.
- [William] Even by me, famous playwright William Shakespeare, several times!
- What are you saying?
Us crocodiles can't actually be sad?
[William yells] - [Narrator] Crocodiles do shed tears as a way to clean their eyes.
And a few years ago, people studying caimans, close relatives of crocodiles, discovered that... - [Scientist] The act of eating often caused their eyes to tear up.
It didn't matter how they were feeling.
- [Narrator] There's even a rare medical condition in humans named after the saying, known as... - Crocodile tears syndrome, where people with weakened face muscles shed tears while eating, even though they aren't feeling sad.
Oh, would you excuse me?
My favorite game show is starting!
- Welcome to "Cry or Lie," the game show where you try to figure out which of these three players is fake crying.
Player number one, tell us your heartbreaking story.
- [Crocodile] [sobs] A beautiful butterfly landed on my nose, but suddenly I sneezed and scared it away!
[sobs] - [Audience] Aw!
- Tragic!
Player number two?
- [Crocodile] [sobs] I overheard a bird singing the saddest song!
- [Audience] Aw!
- Sadness to my ears.
And finally, player number three.
- [Crocodile] Monkeys thought it would be funny to tickle my feet with a feather!
I was so embarrassed!
[sobs] - [Audience] Aw!
- The worst!
Now, audience, can you guess which crocodile is just pretending to be sad?
Will the fake crying crocodile please step forward?
And the answer is... all three crocodiles!
That's a lot of crocodile tears.
[audience laughing] - [Narrator] Whether or not you saw that coming, maybe you can remember a time when you, or someone you know, pretended to be sad and cried crocodile tears.
[upbeat music] - [William] Oh, you again.
To flee or not to flee... No, I should definitely flee.
Goodbye!
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