nourish a viper in one's bosom
To do acts of kindness that will be met with ingratitude and will cause one harm in the end.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“He helped his rival, but he only nourished a viper in his bosom.”
“You nourish a viper in your bosom when you trust a known liar.”
“By giving the dishonest employee a promotion, the manager realized he had nourished a viper in his bosom.”
“I let my cousin stay in my apartment for free, but I was nourishing a viper in my bosom when he stole my identity to open credit cards.”
“The politician mentored the young assistant for years, only to find she was nourishing a viper in her bosom who leaked her private emails to the press.”
“The king showed mercy to the captured rebel, never suspecting that he had nourished a viper in his bosom who would eventually lead the coup.”
From the fable of the Farmer and the Viper, attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop. The expression draws upon the account of a man who discovers a frozen snake and, in an act of misplaced charity, places it inside his clothing to warm it against his skin. Upon its revival, the viper bit the farmer, a development that proved fatal for the man and socially awkward for the reptile.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026