Explaining "It takes a thief to catch a thief"

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 16/10/2024, 07:59

English.me team member

What does it mean?

The phrase "It takes a thief to catch a thief" suggests that someone who has experience or skills similar to those of a wrongdoer is better equipped to understand and catch them. It implies that understanding or thinking like a thief is necessary to catch one.

Tone

Pragmatic

Origin

The phrase "set a thief to catch a thief" is a proverb dating back to the mid-seventeenth century, first documented in a play published in 1665, where it was referred to as an "old saying." It may have been influenced by a remark in an epigram by Callimachus, an ancient Greek writer, which conveyed a similar idea.

Examples of usage

The cybersecurity expert used to be a hacker himself, proving it takes a thief to catch a thief.
Hiring the former conman as a consultant actually helped the police solve the case, showing that it really does take a thief to catch a thief.
They say it takes a thief to catch a thief, which is why they recruited someone with insider knowledge to tackle the issue.