Meanings
alternative takes one to know one
- idiomaticExpressing the same underlying character-judgment themes as pot calling the kettle black or set a thief to catch a thief.
They hired the most devious scammers they could find and paid them quite well to do some red-team work, because it takes one to know one.
- childishcolloquialA retort to a negative accusation, implying that the accuser shares the fault.
Bob: You're an idiot! Tony: Takes one to know one!
4 more examples
There's an unkind saying that it takes one to know one, and it's almost true.
1949, Nial Kent, The Divided Path, page 358Anyone who appreciates Shakespeare as this author unquestionably does is another Shakespeare — it takes one to know one!
1947, Poet Lore, page 280“I’ve got a bad egg,” said Bervick. “I guess this was a pre-war egg.” […] “It takes one to know one,” said the Chief, referring back to the eggs.
1946, Gore Vidal, Williwaw, page 45Brezhnev pretended a scowl. "Kissinger is such a scoundrel," he said. But Henry was ready for that. "It takes one to know one," he replied.
1980, Gerald Ford, “Problems Multiply”, in A Time to Heal, New York: Berkley Books, →ISBN, →OCLC, →OL, page 209
Translations
Catalan pensa el lladre que tothom roba
- pensa el lladre que tothom robaan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Danish tyv tror hvermand stjæler
- tyv tror hvermand stjæleran insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Finnish kyllä koira koiran tuntee
- kyllä koira koiran tunteean insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
French c'est celui qui dit qui l'est
- c'est celui qui dit qui l'estan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
German alles, was ich denk' und tu', trau' ich auch dem andern zu
- alles, was ich denk' und tu', trau' ich auch dem andern zuan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Irish aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eile
- aithníonn ciaróg ciaróg eilean insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Italian il bue che dice cornuto all'asino
- il bue che dice cornuto all'asinoan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Polish swój swojego zawsze pozna
- swój swojego zawsze poznaan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Portuguese o sujo falando do mal lavado
- o sujo falando do mal lavadoan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Russian каждый судит по себе
- каждый судит по себе (každyj sudit po sebe)an insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Scottish Gaelic aithnichidh na leth-chiallaich a chèile
- aithnichidh na leth-chiallaich a chèilean insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Spanish piensa el ladrón que todos son de su condición
- piensa el ladrón que todos son de su condiciónan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Swedish den som sa det han var det
- den som sa det han var detan insult which is true about both the sender and the receiver
Cite this entry
it takes one to know one. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20takes%20one%20to%20know%20one
“it takes one to know one.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20takes%20one%20to%20know%20one. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it takes one to know one,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20takes%20one%20to%20know%20one.
Source: it takes one to know one on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.