take out an onion
Suggests that the performer of the action is not sincere in their grief.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“She is just taking out an onion to get her way.”
“Everyone knew she was taking out an onion because she only started crying when the boss walked into the room.”
“His performance of grief was so transparently false that the audience immediately recognized he was merely taking out an onion to manipulate their sympathy.”
The vapours from sliced onions cause tears, allowing someone to pretend to cry. Coined by Private Eye and used as a mock stage description, originally to describe Harold MacMillan.
- 01
be taken ill
To become ill.
- 02
cross to take up
Alternative form of cross to bear.
- 03
eat the onion
To unwittingly and erroneously interpret a work of satire as literal fact, particularly a piece published by The Onion.
- 04
forget to take one's medication this morning
To be annoyed or irritable, or to behave in an ill-mannered way, particularly in the morning.
- 05
get taken in
To be fooled; to fall for.
- 06
give and take
A process of compromise or accommodation.
- 07
give someone an inch and someone will take a mile
Alternative form of give them an inch and they'll take a mile.
- 08
have one's name taken
To receive a yellow card.
Last updated August 10, 2026