phrase
General Slang
pot calling the kettle black
POT KAWL-ing the KET-ul BLAK · phrase · informal
A hypocrite accusing another of his own fault.
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Definitions
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Said when someone criticizes a flaw in another that they share.
“You callin' me lazy? That's the pot calling the kettle black.”
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pot calling the kettle black In A Sentence
You callin' me lazy? That's the pot calling the kettle black.
Origin & Usage
Old proverb (both pot and kettle blackened by soot), long common in Southern speech.
Variants
the pot calling the kettle black
People Also Ask
What does "the pot calling the kettle black" mean?
It describes a hypocrite who criticizes someone else for a flaw they share themselves.
When is it used?
You say it to point out that an accuser is guilty of the very thing they're complaining about.
Where does the image come from?
Both a pot and a kettle over a fire get blackened by soot, so one has no standing to call the other black.
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