The former thief is now a security guard, a real poacher turned gamekeeper.
poacher turned gamekeeper
idiomA person now charged with protecting what they formerly preyed upon.
Origin
disputed originThe figurative sense is by self-evident metaphor from the literal sense. The thought of poachers turned gamekeepers goes back centuries; for example, William Tinsley said in his memoirs that "There is an old saying that the most expert poachers make the best gamekeepers. I do not think the saying is true as a rule […]".
After years of hacking into company servers, he now works in cybersecurity, a classic case of a poacher turned gamekeeper.
The regulator, once a notorious corporate lobbyist, exemplifies the poacher turned gamekeeper, now enforcing the very laws he previously spent his career dismantling.
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Buggins's turn
A humorous, disparaging term for the appointment of a person by rotation or promotion, on the basis of length of service (it being that person's "turn") rather than merit or level of qualification.
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everything one touches turns to gold
Everything someone uses or does succeeds or becomes better.
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everything one touches turns to shit
Everything someone uses or does fails or becomes worse.
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good turn
A good deed; a thoughtful or selfless act.
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left turn
An unexpected change from the way things seemed to be going.
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serve the turn
To suffice for one's immediate purpose or need.
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star turn
An acting performance which causes the performer to become renowned.
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take a turn
Change in direction, tone, or tendency.
Last updated April 17, 2026