the saying calling the kettle black comes from spanish.
the saying calling the kettle black comes from spanish.
where does the saying calling the kettle black come from?
spanish
the pot calling the kettle black









































"the pot calling the kettle black" is a proverbial idiom that may be of spanish origin, of which english versions began to appear in the first half of the 17th century. the idiom is glossed in the original sources as being used of a person who is guilty of the very thing of which they accuse another and is thus an example of psychological projection.









































section::::origin.
the pot calling the kettle black
congruent conflations are the more ideal, and more sought-after, examples of the concept. these occur when the two root expressions reflect similar thoughts. for example, "look who's calling the kettle black" can be formed using the root expressions "look who's talking" and "the pot calling the kettle black". these root expressions really mean the same thing: they are both a friendly way to point out hypocritical behavior. of course, "look who's calling the kettle black" does not directly imply anything, yet the implication is understood because the conflation clearly refers to two known idioms.
conflation