pot calling the kettle black

UK/ˈpɒt ˈkɔːliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/US/ˈpɑt ˈkɔliŋ ðə ˈkɛtl̩ ˈblæk/

noun

A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

“I think it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black when she says he is obsessive.”

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

noun
  1. idiomaticA situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.

    I think it's a case of the pot calling the kettle black when she says he is obsessive.

Origin

There are two interpretations of this phrase, though some sources give only the first interpretation. In the first interpretation, it refers to the fact that both cast-iron pots' and kettles' bottoms turn equally black when hung over a fire, and thus the pot is accusing the kettle of a fault it shares. In the second (unlikely) interpretation, the pot is sooty (being placed on a fire), while the kettle is clean and shiny (being placed on coals only), and hence when the pot accuses the kettle of being black, it is the pot’s own sooty reflection that it sees: the pot accuses the kettle of a fault that only the pot has.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Basque zozoak beleari, ipurbeltz, xoxoak beleari ipurbeltz
  • zozoak beleari, ipurbeltzsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • xoxoak beleari ipurbeltzsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Bulgarian присмя́л се хъ́рбел на щъ́рбел
  • присмя́л се хъ́рбел на щъ́рбел (prismjál se hắrbel na štắrbel)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Catalan aquò's la misèria que se trufa de l'espital, el perol diu a la paella: "Si m'embrutes, t'emmascaro"
  • aquò's la misèria que se trufa de l'espitalsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • el perol diu a la paella: "Si m'embrutes, t'emmascaro"situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Chinese Cantonese 半斤笑八兩 /半斤笑八两, 五十步笑一百步
  • 半斤笑八兩 /半斤笑八两 (bun³ gan¹ siu³ baat³ loeng⁵)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • 五十步笑一百步 (ng⁵ sap⁶ bou⁶ siu³ jat¹ baak³ bou⁶)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Chinese Mandarin 五十步笑一百步, 五十步笑百步
  • 五十步笑一百步 (wǔshíbù xiàoyībǎibù)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • 五十步笑百步 (wǔshí bù xiào bǎi bù)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Czech zloděj křičí, chyťte zloděje, hrnec kotel kárá, černí jsou oba
  • zloděj křičí, chyťte zlodějesituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • hrnec kotel kárá, černí jsou obasituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • hadr káře onucisituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Dutch de pot verwijt de ketel dat hij zwart ziet
  • de pot verwijt de ketel dat hij zwart zietsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Esperanto kaldrono ridas pri poto kaj mem estas kota
  • kaldrono ridas pri poto kaj mem estas kotasituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Estonian pada sõimab katelt, pada sõimab katelt, ühed mustad mõlemad
  • pada sõimab kateltsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • pada sõimab katelt, ühed mustad mõlemadsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Finnish pata kattilaa soimaa, pata kattilaa soimaa, musta kylki kummallakin
  • pata kattilaa soimaasituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • pata kattilaa soimaa, musta kylki kummallakinsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
French c'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charité, c'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charité
  • c'est l'hôpital qui se moque de la charitésituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • c'est l'hôpital qui se fout de la charitésituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • c'est l'hôpital qui se moque de l'infirmeriesituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • c'est la poêle qui se moque du chaudronsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • c'est la poêle qui se fout du chaudronsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • voir la paille dans l'œil du voisin et ne pas voir la poutre dans le siensituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • voir une paille dans l'œil de son prochain et ne pas voir une poutre dans le siensituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • voir la paille dans l'œil de son voisin et ne pas voir une poutre dans le siensituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • c'est la pelle qui se moque du fourgonsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
German ein Esel schimpft den anderen Langohr
  • ein Esel schimpft den anderen Langohrsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Hungarian bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejű, más szemében a szálkát is meglátja, a magáéban a gerendát sem
  • bagoly mondja verébnek, hogy nagyfejűsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • más szemében a szálkát is meglátja, a magáéban a gerendát semsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Indonesian maling teriak maling, maling teriak rampok
  • maling teriak malingsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • maling teriak rampoksituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Irish casadh an chorcáin leis an gciteal, an óinseach ag aoir ar an amadán
  • casadh an chorcáin leis an gcitealsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • an óinseach ag aoir ar an amadánsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • is maith an té atá ag tabhairt achasáin uaidhsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Italian il bue che dice cornuto all'asino
  • il bue che dice cornuto all'asinosituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Japanese 目糞鼻糞を笑う, 五十歩百歩
  • 目糞鼻糞を笑う (mekuso hanakuso o warau)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • 五十歩百歩 (gojuppo hyappo)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Lithuanian juokiasi puodas, kad katilas juodas, juokėsi puodas, kad katilas juodas
  • juokiasi puodas, kad katilas juodassituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • juokėsi puodas, kad katilas juodassituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • abu labusituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Malay kata periuk belanga hitam
  • kata periuk belanga hitamsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Norwegian Bokmål kaste sten i glasshus
  • kaste sten i glasshussituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Polish przyganiał kocioł garnkowi
  • przyganiał kocioł garnkowisituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Portuguese roto falando do esfarrapado, o sujo falando do mal lavado
  • roto falando do esfarrapadosituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • o sujo falando do mal lavadosituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • diz o roto ao nusituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Romanian râde ciob de oală spartă
  • râde ciob de oală spartăsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Scottish Gaelic aithis na praise air a' choire
  • aithis na praise air a' choiresituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Spanish le dijo la sartén al cazo, le dijo la sartén al cazo: ¡aparta que me tiznas!
  • le dijo la sartén al cazosituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • le dijo la sartén al cazo: ¡aparta que me tiznas!situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • el burro hablando de orejassituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Swedish kasta sten i glashus, se grandet i grannens öga men inte bjälken i sitt eget
  • kasta sten i glashussituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • se grandet i grannens öga men inte bjälken i sitt egetsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Thai ว่าแต่เขาอิเหนาเป็นเอง
  • ว่าแต่เขาอิเหนาเป็นเอง (wâa-dtɛ̀ɛ-kǎo-ì-nǎo-bpen-eeng)situation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Turkish tencere dibin kara, seninki benden kara, dinime küfreden müslüman olsa
  • tencere dibin kara, seninki benden karasituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
  • dinime küfreden müslüman olsasituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Vietnamese chó chê mèo lắm lông
  • chó chê mèo lắm lôngsituation in which somebody accuses someone else of a fault shared by the accuser
Cite this entry
APA

pot calling the kettle black. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pot%20calling%20the%20kettle%20black

MLA

“pot calling the kettle black.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pot%20calling%20the%20kettle%20black. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pot calling the kettle black,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pot%20calling%20the%20kettle%20black.

Source: pot calling the kettle black on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.