take out an onion

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.^[1]

take out an onion (third-person singular simple present takes out an onion, present participle taking out an onion, simple past took out an onion, past participle taken out an onion)

1. (idiomatic) Suggests that the performer of the action is not sincere in their grief.
   • 2010 August 6, Jonathan Wheatley, “Brazil’s TV debate: ports, rates and Lula’s shadow”, in The Financial Times:

     He’s almost taking out an onion now as he remembers his father and his own early struggles.

   • 2011 December 11, DJ Taylor, “Clichés - We're all in them together”, in The Independent:

     "I don't want the next generation to misunderstand history" Mr Chea told a packed court, no doubt taking out an onion as he did so. "I don't want them to believe the Khmer Rouge were bad people, war criminals."

   • 2012 January 21, Andrew Gilligan, “Ken Livingstone: new health concerns as multiple personality disorder detected”, in The Daily Telegraph:

     I sympathise, of course, (takes out onion) with Ken’s own experience of how hard it is to find employment, in a particularly tough job market for embittered old lefties.

• crocodile tears