foul one's own nest

English

Etymology

From the proverb it's an ill bird that fouls its own nest.

Verb

foul one's own nest (third-person singular simple present fouls one's own nest, present participle fouling one's own nest, simple past and past participle fouled one's own nest)

1. To damage one's environment.
   • 1992, Roy Masters, Secrets of a Parallel Universe, →ISBN, page 142:

     Provide them with a mansion, and they will rip out the plumbing, write obscenities on the walls, and generally foul up their own nest.

   • 1998, Max Anders, What You Need to Know About Defending Your Faith in 12 Lessons, →ISBN, page 135:

     Whatever we do to nature and the environment we will eventually do to ourselves. If we continually foul our own nest, we will pay the price.

   • 2009, Richard Walker, The country in the city: the greening of the San Francisco, →ISBN, page 205:

     Large cities foul their own nest as they grow, putting the health of their citizens in jeopardy.

   • 2012, Daniel McCool, River Republic: The Fall and Rise of America's Rivers, →ISBN, page 296:

     Rather, it appears that we have a tendency to foul our own nest and destroy what we value the most.

2. To hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self, family or group.

   Synonym: shoot oneself in the foot

   • 2007, Roger Taylor, Farnor, →ISBN, page 200:

     He had concluded, 'Arbitrary violence against them now would be to foul your own nest; mar at the outset the future that is your destiny.

   • 2010, Peter Maguire, Law and War, →ISBN, page 135:

     In giving vent to these baseless slanders you have now fouled your own nest and sought to discredit the very judgment which you and your two distinguished colleagues have just rendered.”

   • 2015, Zachary Leader, The Life of Saul Bellow: To Fame and Fortune, 1915-1964, →ISBN:

     He fouled his own nest. So by now he realizes it was his own fault and he had it coming.

Translations

to hurt one's own interests, especially to damage the reputation of one's self

• Czech: kálet si do vlastního hnízda impf
• Danish: besudle sin egen rede
• Norwegian:

  Bokmål: skite i eget reir (no)

  Nynorsk: skite i eige reir

• Spanish: tirar piedras contra el propio tejado (es)

See also

• don't shit in your own nest