目めくそ鼻はなくそを笑わらう

Meanings

Idiomatic expression criticizing someone for pointing out a flaw in another that they themselves have; literally 'eye goop laughing at nose snot'.

彼かれが私わたしの遅ち刻こくを注ちゅう意いするなんて、目めくそ鼻はなくそを笑わらうようなものだ。
Him scolding me for being late is like the pot calling the kettle black.
自じ分ぶんのミスを棚たなに上あげて他た人にんを批ひ判はんするのは、まさに目めくそ鼻はなくそを笑わらうだ。
Ignoring your own mistakes and criticizing others is exactly the pot calling the kettle black.

See all 4 example sentences ›

Kanji

目eye, class, look
鼻nose, snout
笑laugh
糞shit, feces, excrement
屎shit, excrement

Related words

五ご十じっ歩ぽ百ひゃっ歩ぽ
Both express the idea that two parties are equally flawed, but 目くそ鼻くそを笑う specifically highlights the hypocrisy of one party criticizing the other, while 五十歩百歩 simply states they are essentially the same.

Built from

目めくそ+鼻はなくそ+笑わらう

Written forms

目めくそ鼻はなくそを笑わらう
Most common spelling using kana for くそ, balancing readability and idiomatic feel.
目め糞くそ鼻はな糞くそを笑わらう
Kanji spelling for 糞; less common but still seen.
目め糞くそ鼻はな屎くそを笑わらう
Uses 屎 for くそ; rare and somewhat archaic variant.

Etymology

A proverbial expression of uncertain origin, literally comparing eye discharge (目くそ) laughing at nasal mucus (鼻くそ), both being similarly unpleasant bodily substances.