5 ms·

"Your argument is rather stupid." "Did you not do so well in your interview there?" Pot, meet kettle.

waterhouse 15y ago
On a random note, is there a more timeless variation on that phrase? The pots and the kettle that I usually encounter are all made of shiny, silver-colored metal, except for their handles; I've seen a couple of black-metal pots, but not routinely. ...A Wikipedia article[1] suggests that a pot might have been blackened by smoke from being held over a wood fire, which obviously does not happen with electric stoves. Anyway, at this point, in the spirit of George Orwell[2], I consider it to be a dying metaphor, and have no desire to put it into my writing. Hence my desire for alternatives. So, first off, there is the word "hypocrite". And then if you want a clever thing to say, I don't think "You see the speck in your brother's eye but ignore the plank in your own" will become obsolete, at least for a while. (As long as wood is used for construction, it will probably be put into planks, and people will probably encounter them at some point in their lives. And I don't think "plank" has any competing meanings at the moment.) [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_calling_the_kettle_black http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_calling_the_kettle_black [2] "Politics and the English Language". In particular, do a text search for "dying metaphors". http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm
- burgerbrain 15y ago
  Eh, there seem to be a good number of black pots for sale on amazon, though they are undoubtedly black for other reasons than pots used to be black for. I have a cast iron kettle that I use as a door stop that's also quite black, though I do suspect it's rather old. First result for "pot": http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-619-16-Nonstick-Hard-Anodized-Saucepan/dp/B0001LO5EK/ http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-619-16-Nonstick-Hard-Anodize...

On a random note, is there a more timeless variation on that phrase? The pots and the kettle that I usually encounter are all made of shiny, silver-colored metal, except for their handles; I've seen a couple of black-metal pots, but not routinely. ...A Wikipedia article[1] suggests that a pot might have been blackened by smoke from being held over a wood fire, which obviously does not happen with electric stoves. Anyway, at this point, in the spirit of George Orwell[2], I consider it to be a dying metaphor, and have no desire to put it into my writing. Hence my desire for alternatives. So, first off, there is the word "hypocrite". And then if you want a clever thing to say, I don't think "You see the speck in your brother's eye but ignore the plank in your own" will become obsolete, at least for a while. (As long as wood is used for construction, it will probably be put into planks, and people will probably encounter them at some point in their lives. And I don't think "plank" has any competing meanings at the moment.) [1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_calling_the_kettle_black http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pot_calling_the_kettle_black [2] "Politics and the English Language". In particular, do a text search for "dying metaphors". http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm http://www.mtholyoke.edu/acad/intrel/orwell46.htm

burgerbrain 15y ago
Eh, there seem to be a good number of black pots for sale on amazon, though they are undoubtedly black for other reasons than pots used to be black for. I have a cast iron kettle that I use as a door stop that's also quite black, though I do suspect it's rather old. First result for "pot": http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-619-16-Nonstick-Hard-Anodized-Saucepan/dp/B0001LO5EK/ http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-619-16-Nonstick-Hard-Anodize...