wolf guarding the sheep: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  general Englishliterary and rhetorical usageformalfigurativeidiomatic
  • A metaphor describing a situation in which someone untrustworthy, hostile, or self-interested is placed in charge of vulnerable people or assets and is likely to exploit or harm them.
  • A warning about the impropriety or danger of appointing a predator or adversary to a protective or supervisory role.

  Examples

  Beta

  • Putting a dishonest accountant in charge of the company’s finances is like a wolf guarding the sheep.

    Poner a un contador deshonesto a cargo de las finanzas de la empresa es como un lobo cuidando a las ovejas.

  • The new manager turned out to be a wolf guarding the sheep, exploiting the staff’s trust for personal gain.

    El nuevo gerente resultó ser un lobo cuidando a las ovejas, explotando la confianza del personal para beneficio personal.

  • It's a classic case of wolf guarding the sheep when the security firm hired has connections to the thieves.

    Es un caso clásico de lobo cuidando a las ovejas cuando la empresa de seguridad contratada tiene conexiones con los ladrones.