rod for one's back
The means of one's own punishment or downfall.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“By lying to your boss, you make a rod for your own back.”
“If you promise to finish this project by tomorrow, you are making a rod for your own back.”
“By refusing to delegate any responsibilities to his team, the manager inadvertently created a rod for his own back when the workload became impossible to manage alone.”
- 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