Crocodile tears

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Crocodile tears

The term Crocodile tears refers to a false or insincere display of emotion. The expression comes from an ancient anecdote that crocodiles weep in order to lure their prey, or that they cry

Cry

Cry may refer to:* Crying* Child Rights and You* CRY America * Cry, Yonne, a commune of the Yonne d?partement in France...
for the victims they are eating. They are fake tears.

An alternate explanation for the expression's origin is that crocodile tears cannot be authentic because crocodiles cannot cry; they lack tear ducts.

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Encyclopedia

The term Crocodile tears refers to a false or insincere display of emotion. The expression comes from an ancient anecdote that crocodiles weep in order to lure their prey, or that they cry

Cry

Mythology

The word mythology refers to a body of folklore/myths/legends that a particular culture believes to be true and that often use the supernatural to interpret natural events and to explain the nature of the universe and humanity....
: Crocodiles possess lacrimal gland

Lacrimal gland

The lacrimal glands are paired almond-shaped glands, one for each eye, that secrete the aqueous layer of the tears film. They are situated in the upper, outer portion of each Orbit ....
s which secrete a proteinaceous fluid, just like in humans, though tears will only be visible after a crocodile is out of the water for a prolonged period of time, and dries out. However, while crocodiles can and do generate tears, they do not weep or cry for remorse.

One prominent use of the expression is by Shakespeare in Othello

Othello

Othello, the Moor of Venice is a tragedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written in approximately 1603, and based on the Italian language short story "Un Capitano Moro" by Cinthio first published in 1565....
Act IV, Scene i

Again, Shakespeare, in an even earlier play, Henry VI

Henry VI

Henry VI may refer to:* Henry VI, Holy Roman Emperor .* Henry VI of Luxembourg, Count of Luxembourg, * Henry VI of England and of France * The three plays by William Shakespeare about the life and times of Henry VI of England:...
Part 2, Act III, Scene i

The Crocodile tears syndrome

Tears

Tears are the liquid product of a process of lacrimation to clean and lubricate the eyes. The word lacrimation may also be used in a medical or literary sense to refer to crying....
is an uncommon consequence of recovery from Bell's palsy

Bell's palsy

Bell's palsy is a paralysis of cranial nerve VII resulting in inability to control facial muscles on the affected side. Several conditions can cause a facial paralysis, e.g., brain tumor, stroke, and Lyme disease....
where faulty regeneration of the facial nerve

Facial nerve

The facial nerve is the seventh of twelve paired cranial nerves. It emerges from the brainstem between the pons and the medulla oblongata, and controls the muscles of facial expression, and taste to the anterior two-thirds of the tongue....
causes sufferers to shed tears while eating.

In popular culture

The "crocodile tears" expression appears in a line in the song Substitute (The Who song) by famous rock band The Who

The Who

The Who are an England Rock music band formed in 1964. The primary lineup was guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle and drummer Keith Moon....
.

In the 2004 romantic comedy, Along Came Polly
Along Came Polly

Along Came Polly is a 2004 in film United States romantic comedy film screenwriter and Film director by John Hamburg....
, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman

Philip Seymour Hoffman is an American stage and film actor and director.Hoffman began his professional acting career in television in 1991, and the following year began appearing in films....
plays a former child star who appeared in the fictional film Crocodile Tears.

In one of Rudyard Kipling

Rudyard Kipling

Joseph Rudyard Kipling was an English author and poet. Born in Mumbai, British India , he is best known for his works of fiction The Jungle Book , Kim , many short stories, including The Man Who Would Be King ; and his poems, including Mandalay , Gunga Din , and If? ....
's Just So Stories

Just So Stories

The Just So Stories for Little Children were written by United Kingdom author Rudyard Kipling. They are highly fantasized Pourquoi story and are among Kipling's best known works....
, The Elephant's Child, the Crocodile generously reveals himself by weeping crocodile tears.

The Pokémon

Pokémon

is a media franchise owned by the video game company Nintendo and created by Satoshi Tajiri around 1995. Originally released as a pair of interlinkable Game Boy line Console role-playing game video games, Pok?mon has since become the second most successful and lucrative video game-based media franchise in the world, behind only Nintendo's own...
Bonsly is known for using "Fake Tears" as an attack to deceive its opponent.

The band Parkway Drive references the use of crocodile tears in the song Romance is Dead, track four from the album Killing with a Smile

Killing with a Smile

Killing with a Smile is the debut album by Australlian metalcore band Parkway Drive, released in August 2005.A video has been produced for "Smoke 'Em If Ya Got 'Em"....
.

Hardcore punk band Septic Death

Septic Death

Septic Death was a hardcore punk band fronted by artist Brian "Pushead" Schroeder on vocals. Septic Death's music became a major influence on bands like Integrity , Citizens Arrest, Infest , and many other bands tied to the hardcore punk, thrashcore, crust punk etc....
released an EP titled Crocodile Tears.

A group art installation of over 50 artists -- including Matt Leines, Misaki Kawai, & William Schaff -- shown at the Giant Robot gallery in New York in July 2008 was titled "Crocodile Tears".

In the first episode of The Smurfs

The Smurfs

The Smurfs are a fictional group of small sky blue creatures who live in Smurf Village somewhere in the woods. The Belgium cartoonist Peyo introduced Smurfs to the world in a series of comic strips, making their first appearance in the Belgian Franco-Belgian comics magazines Spirou on October 23, 1958....
on television ("The Smurfette") Smurfette

Smurfette

Smurfette is a female fictional character from the Smurfs.Smurfette was the only female Smurf until the creation of Sassette. A Granny Smurf was also later introduced ....
is created by Gargamel

Gargamel

Gargamel the Magician is the sworn enemy of the Smurfs. He is an evil Wizard , though his powers appear very limited; he actually seems to be more of an Alchemy as his main ability is to create magic potions....
using blue clay as the base and includes crocodile tears as one of her ingredients.

The eighth book in Anthony Horowitz's

Anthony Horowitz

Anthony Horowitz is an England author and screenwriter. He has written many children's novels, including the Power of Five, Alex Rider and The Diamond Brothers series and has written over fifty books....
Alex Rider

Alex Rider

Alex Rider is a series of Spy fiction by English people author Anthony Horowitz about a young spy named Alex Rider . Seven novels have been published to date....
series is to be entitled Crocodile Tears.

An Australian country/folk/rock band The Pigram Brothers

The Pigram Brothers

The Pigram Brothers are a 7 piece Indigenous Australian band from the Pearl hunting town of Broome, Western Australia formed in 1996.They were heavily involved in Broome's musical and theatrical exports - forming the original backing band for Jimmy Chi's Bran Nue Dae in 1990 ? a musical that received international acclaim....
have a song titled "Liar Cry" which is a local expression, where the band is based in Broome WA, that means Crocodile Tears.

Crocodile tears

In popular culture

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