Yeah, the Blaxpolitation-styled Bond movie where this is used is pretty cringeworthy. i don’t think the phrase is racial in origin though - it’s used in the Importance of Being Earnest in the original sense, with humour derived from class snobbery around proximity to manual labour.
“When I see a spade I call it a spade.”
“I am glad to say that I have never seen a spade. It is obvious that our social spheres have been widely different.”
