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 nest
Acquire wealth for oneself, especially by taking advantage of one's position or using the property of others. For example, Bill's many profitable consulting assignments enabled him to feather his nest quite comfortably . This expression alludes to birds making a soft nest for their eggs. [Mid-1500s]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. 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