crocodile tears; fake tears
Refers to insincere or feigned tears, often to manipulate or deceive.
Her tears were crocodile tears.
That politician's apology press conference looked like nothing but crocodile tears.
Standard kanji spelling.
Mixed kana-kanji spelling, also common.
Compound of 空 (そら, 'empty, false') and 涙 (なみだ, 'tears'). The exact origin is uncertain, but it follows a common pattern of using 空 to indicate something feigned or hollow.