feather (one's) nest
To accumulate wealth for oneself, often by nefarious means. A: "I had no idea Bob lived in such a big, beautiful house!" B: "Well, he is the owner of a very lucrative business. Naturally, it allowed him to feather his nest over the years." The CEO was fired following allegations that he was feathering his nest with donations made to the company's charitable fund. Hey, you're supposed to use this money to help sick kids, not to feather your own nest!
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
feather one's (own) nest
1. Fig. to decorate and furnish one's home in style and comfort. (Alludes to birds lining their nests with feathers to make them warm and comfortable.) With the new family room and expanded kitchen, they seem to have feathered their nest quite comfortably.
2. Fig. to use power and prestige to provide for oneself selfishly. (Said especially of politicians who use their offices to make money for themselves.) The mayor seemed to be helping people, but she was really feathering her own nest. The building contractor used a lot of public money to feather his nest.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
feather (one's) nest
To grow wealthy by taking advantage of one's position or by making use of property or funds left in one's trust.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
feather one's nest, to
To enrich oneself, to provide well for oneself. Alluding to the practice of birds making a soft nest for their eggs and young, this expression originated in the sixteenth century. It appeared in the 1553 play Respublica (1:1) by an unknown author, as well as in several other works of the period. It was a cliché by the eighteenth century.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer