pɒt ˈkɔːlɪŋ ðə ˈketl blæk
General
informal
intermediate
- Literally:
- A pot criticizing a kettle for being black
What does "pot calling the kettle black" mean?
- Hypocritically criticizing someone for a fault you also have
- Accusing someone of something you're guilty of yourself
Examples
- You're calling me lazy? That's the pot calling the kettle black!
- Him criticizing her organization is the pot calling the kettle black.
- It's the pot calling the kettle black when he complains about others being late.
Origin
From when both pots and kettles were blackened by cooking over open fires. Dates to 17th-century Spain.
How to use it
Used to point out hypocrisy. Often shortened to 'pot, kettle, black'.
Similar expressions
hypocrite
double standard
look who's talking
Opposites
practice what you preach
lead by example
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "pot calling the kettle black" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.