Question

Pot Calling the Kettle Black the person criticizing another person's faults is guilty of same faults himself or herself

Accepted Answer

For you to say that I can't throw a ball is like the pot calling the kettle black. You're a terrible pitcher! The theory about the origin of this idiom goes back to the early 1600s. It suggests that a pot and a kettle both got black from standing too long over an open fire. The pot couldn't fault the kettle for being blackened by smoke because the pot was the same color. In the same way, you can't criticize a person for something if the fault is one of yours, too. A similar idea is contained in the saying "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" (see page 145).

Idiom	Pot Calling the Kettle Black
Example	For you to say that I can't throw a ball is like the pot calling the kettle black. You're a terrible pitcher!
Meaning	the person criticizing another person's faults is guilty of same faults himself or herself
Origin	The theory about the origin of this idiom goes back to the early 1600s. It suggests that a pot and a kettle both got black from standing too long over an open fire. The pot couldn't fault the kettle for being blackened by smoke because the pot was the same color. In the same way, you can't criticize a person for something if the fault is one of yours, too. A similar idea is contained in the saying "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones" (see page 145).

Pot Kettle Black Calling Throw Person Faults I