the pot calling the kettle black
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Also seen as: pot calling the kettle black
Sense 1
To accuse hypocritically, has been used in racist contexts (e.
How to use it
✗ Avoid it when
This expression is widely considered racist or offensive today; the history is documented in the notes. Documented here descriptively, not as an endorsement.
Connotation: offensive to many; contested
Sources & notes
Imported from Wikipedia “List of idioms considered racist” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review. Why it’s contested: g. in reports from the Boer War), and is sometimes avoided because of the concerns that it covertly conveys "negative ideas about individuals and groups" (i.e. blackness). Folklorist Patricia Turner says that the idiom is widely used by both Black and non-Black Americans, and that Black Americans are less likely to assign racist connotations to the phrase.
Sense 2
Accusing someone of something you yourself are guilty of
Ví người chỉ trích người khác về điều mình cũng phạm phải
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Sources & notes
Listed in Wiktionary’s “English idioms” category (retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Lighter cards are two steps away in the meaning graph — equivalents of equivalents, reached via the entry shown on the card.
Common questions
What does “the pot calling the kettle black” mean?
To accuse hypocritically, has been used in racist contexts (e.
Is “the pot calling the kettle black” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“chó chê mèo lắm lông” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.