Pot-calling-the-kettle-black Definition
(idiomatic) A situation in which somebody comments on or accuses someone else of a fault which the accuser shares.
Origin of Pot-calling-the-kettle-black
In the second, subtler 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.
From Wiktionary
-
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.
From Wiktionary
There are two interpretations of this phrase, though other sources give only the first interpretation.
From Wiktionary
Find Similar Words
Find similar words to pot-calling-the-kettle-black using the buttons below.
Words Starting With P and Ending With K
Word Length
Words Near Pot-calling-the-kettle-black in the Dictionary
- pot-boiler
- pot-bound
- pot-boy
- pot-brownie
- pot-calling-the-kettle-black
- pot-cheese
- potbound
- potboy
- potch
- potched
- potcher
- potcherman