Centuries ago, people used to believe that crocodiles shed tears while consuming their prey. This belief was later proven to be incorrect, and scholars theorized that people might have observed crocodiles (which live in water bodies) dripping with water near the eyes, and assumed they were tears. Crocodiles do, in fact, have tear ducts, but these are used to moisten the eyes when the creature has been out of water for a long period of time. 

The phrase “crocodile tears” actually exists in almost every European language because it was first coined back when most people in the region still spoke Latin. It means “false, superficial, or insincere display of emotions.”  It’s used to describe displays of grief that are hypocritical or meant for one’s own personal benefit.