Reader's question:  

I think it's fair to say that Europe's response to its current crisis will lead to the creation of European Monetary Fund. It probably won't use those words to described it, but if it walks like a dog, you know, call it a dog.

Could you explain “if it walks like a dog, call it a dog"?

My comments:

Do you know the expression "call a spade a spade"?

Well, this is it. If it walks like a dog, it (most probably) is a dog. Don't bother calling it a cat or anything else.

In other words, no mincing words and putting it mildly, just say exactly what you think even if it may offend some people.

If someone talks like a politician, walks like a politician, you know, he is a politician. Don't bother calling him by any other name.

Related stories:

Pull my leg

Ego bath

Tough call

Rain check

Upper reaches

Off the shoulders

Off and running

Gold dust

Frugality fatigue

Red flag

Foregone conclusion

Call balls and strikes

Stare in the face

Cyber Monday

With a grain of salt

Drive home

Out of nowhere

Shove it under the carpet

the sky is the limit

hit it off

get my rib in my heart

With bells on

No harm, no foul

Pick up the slack

length and breadth of

get up to speed on something

Go to Zhang Xin's column

本文僅代表作者本人觀點(diǎn)，與本網(wǎng)立場無關(guān)。歡迎大家討論學(xué)術(shù)問題，尊重他人，禁止人身攻擊和發(fā)布一切違反國家現(xiàn)行法律法規(guī)的內(nèi)容。

Zhang Xin（張欣） has been with China Daily since 1988, when he graduated from Beijing Foreign Studies University. Write him at: zhangxin@chinadaily.com.cn, or raise a question for potential use in a future column.