Idiom of the Day: "The Pot Calling the Kettle Black"– 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무라고 있네 –

Have you ever been called out by someone for something they also do? Maybe your messy roommate complains about your clutter, or a chronic procrastinator criticizes you for being late. If that sounds familiar, you’ve just experienced “the pot calling the kettle black.”

This idiom describes a situation where someone criticizes another person for a fault that they themselves have. It’s a bit ironic—and often unfair.

Meaning:

“The pot calling the kettle black” means someone is pointing out a flaw in someone else that they also possess. It highlights hypocrisy in a humorous or critical way.

In Korean, we have a very similar saying:
“똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무란다.”
Literally: “A dog with poop on it is blaming a dog with chaff on it.”
Same vibe—pointing fingers while being just as guilty!

Example:

Jenny rolled her eyes when Mark told her she was always late to meetings—this from the guy who missed the last three. It was the pot calling the kettle black.

Or in Korean:

마크가 제니에게 회의에 항상 늦는다고 하자 제니는 눈을 굴렸다. 최근 회의 세 번을 다 놓친 마크가 할 말은 아니었다. 그야말로 똥 묻은 개가 겨 묻은 개 나무라는 격이었다.

Tip:

Use this idiom when you want to describe unfair criticism or double standards. Just be careful—it can sound a little sarcastic!