IdiomTopic: colours

the pot calling the kettle black

/ðə ˌpɒt ˌkɔːlɪŋ ðə ˌketl ˈblæk/INFORMAL · C1

Meaning

criticising someone for a fault you also have

Examples

1Leo called me lazy, which was the pot calling the kettle black.
2My sister says I spend too long on my phone. Talk about the pot calling the kettle black!
3Ben complained that I'm always late, but that's the pot calling the kettle black; he's never on time.
4Isn't it the pot calling the kettle black when a messy flatmate criticises your kitchen?
5After his hour-long phone calls, the boss telling us to stop chatting felt like the pot calling the kettle black.

Grammar

Used as a whole comment, usually after that's, it's or talk about. calling stays in the -ing form.

More idioms about colours

All 20 idioms and the topic quiz →

nail your colours to the mastto say publicly and firmly what you believe or support out of the bluecompletely unexpectedly once in a blue moonvery rarely a white liea small untruth told to avoid hurting someone green with envyvery jealous of what someone else has see redto suddenly become very angry

English Idioms

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