Select the most appropriate meaning of the underlined idiom.
Those were only crocodile tears.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
The correct answer is Option 3 i.e. Pretended sadness.
Idiom Concept: "Crocodile tears" is an idiom that means insincere or fake expressions of sorrow
Grammatical Explanation:
The phrase comes from an ancient belief that crocodiles shed tears while eating prey, giving a false appearance of pity
It refers to showing fake or pretended sadness to deceive others
The other options (mild regret, very gloomy, a weeping sign) do not capture this meaning
Correction: Crocodile tears → Pretended sadness
Final Sentence Meaning: Those were only crocodile tears means the sadness was not genuine
Conclusion: The most appropriate meaning of the idiom "crocodile tears" is Pretended sadness.