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Difficulty: MediumIdioms and Idiomatic Expressions

During his tenure as the chairman of the state housing board, Chief Okocha was accused of feathering his own nest rather than addressing the severe accommodation deficit in the region.

Which of the following best expresses the meaning of the underlined idiomatic expression?

  1. enriching himself opportunistically by exploiting his public officeAnswer
  2. B
    decorating his personal residence with luxury furniture and ornaments
  3. C
    allocating subsidized housing units primarily to local poultry farmers
  4. D
    resigning prematurely from public service due to political pressure

Answer

Enriching himself opportunistically by exploiting his public office
The idiomatic expression 'feather one's own nest' means to provide for oneself selfishly, typically by using one's position or public resources to amass personal wealth.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the target idiomatic expression
The expression in context is 'feathering his own nest'.
Determining the figurative meaning of the expression is required to answer the question correctly.
2
Analyze contextual clues within the sentence
The contrast signaled by 'rather than addressing the severe accommodation deficit' indicates self-serving financial behavior at the expense of duty.
Sentence context helps reinforce the figurative interpretation.
3
Match with the established figurative definition
To feather one's nest means to accumulate wealth for oneself while holding a position of authority.
This corresponds directly to personal enrichment through official position.

Key Concept

Meaning of the idiom 'feather one's own nest'
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Topics

Idioms and Idiomatic Expressions

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