the pot calling the kettle black
Meaning
Accusing someone of a fault that you also have; criticizing another for the same flaw you’re guilty of (hypocrisy).
Origin
From the image of two soot-blackened cooking vessels over a fire: a pot calling a kettle “black” is ironic because the pot is just as black. Recorded in English from the early 1600s.
Notes
Used to point out hypocrisy or double standards; often mildly biting/critical. Common in conversation and writing, sometimes shortened to “pot, meet kettle.”
Examples
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He accused her of being unreliable, but coming from him it was the pot calling the kettle black.
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When the manager criticized the team for poor communication, it felt like the pot calling the kettle black.
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You can’t complain about my messy desk when your office looks worse—talk about the pot calling the kettle black.
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Her rant about people being rude was the pot calling the kettle black, considering how she treated the waiter.
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If you lecture me about procrastinating, that’s the pot calling the kettle black—you haven’t started your own report either.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed phrase usually with the verb “calling.” Often appears as “It’s the pot calling the kettle black.” Can be shortened: “pot, meet kettle” / “pot calling kettle.”
Synonyms
- hypocrisy
- double standard
- the pot and the kettle
- who are you to talk?
Antonyms
- practice what you preach
- take the high road