Editing Crocodile (section)

===In language and as symbols===

[[File:The American River Ganges (Thomas Nast cartoon).jpg|thumb|1876 U.S. cartoon by [[Thomas Nast]] depicting Roman Catholic bishops as crocodiles attacking public schools, with the connivance of Irish Catholic politicians]]

{{Main|Crocodile tears}}

The term "[[crocodile tears]]" (and equivalents in other languages) refers to a false, insincere display of emotion, such as a [[hypocrite]] crying fake tears of [[grief]]. It is derived from an ancient anecdote that crocodiles weep in order to lure their prey, or that they [[Crying|cry]] for the victims they are eating, first told in the ''[[Bibliotheca (Photius)|Bibliotheca]]'' by [[Photios I of Constantinople]].<ref>{{cite book |title=Bibliothèque. Tome VIII : Codices 257–280. |last=PHOTIUS |others=Texte établi et traduit par R. Henry. |year=1977 |publisher=Les Belles Lettres |location=Paris |language=fr, grc |isbn=978-2-251-32227-8 |page=93 }}</ref> The story is repeated in bestiaries such as [[List of medieval bestiaries#DeBestiis|''De bestiis et aliis rebus'']]. This tale was first spread widely in English in the stories of the ''Travels of [[Sir John Mandeville]]'' in the 14th century, and appears in several of [[Shakespeare]]'s plays.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8-KxOZWvNdgC&pg=PT185 |title=Curious creatures in zoology |author=John Ashton |isbn=978-1-4092-3184-4 |year=2009}}</ref> In fact, crocodiles can and do generate tears, but they do not actually cry.<ref>[http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/cnhc/cbd-faq-q6.htm Britton, Adam (n.d.). Do crocodiles cry 'crocodile tears'?] ''Crocodilian Biology Database''. Retrieved 13 March 2006 from the Crocodile Specialist Group, Crocodile Species List, FAQ.</ref>

In the UK, a row of [[schoolchildren]] walking in pairs, or two by two is known as "crocodile".<ref>Martin H. Manser, Turton and Nigel D. Turton {{Google books|DXHJ1ylVHnYC|Advanced Learner's Dictionary|page=164}}</ref><ref>Angela Brazil {{Google books|mmtGAgAAQBAJ|The Nicest Girl in the School|page=50}}</ref>