Question:medium

Select the correct meaning of the italicized idiom or phrase out of the four choices given.
Mr. Gupta, who is one of the trustees of a big charity, is suspected of feathering his own nest.

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Think of a bird lining its own nest while it should be doing something else. Note that Mr. Gupta handles money that belongs to others.
Updated On: Jul 17, 2026
  • being lazy in doing his work
  • being too generous
  • neglecting his job
  • making money unfairly
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The Correct Option is D

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
This is an idiom question with a strong context clue. Mr. Gupta is a trustee of a big charity and he is "suspected" of something. Both details narrow down what the idiom must mean.

Step 2: Key Formula or Approach:
Unpack the picture inside the idiom, then match it to the setting. A bird that feathers its nest is making its own home comfortable, pulling in material for itself. Carried over to people, it means gathering wealth for oneself. Then ask which option describes an act of gathering rather than an act of neglect.

Step 3: Detailed Explanation:
Look at the word "suspected" first. We suspect people of wrongdoing, not of laziness or kindness. That already tips the answer towards a dishonest act.
Now look at "trustee of a big charity". A trustee holds funds that belong to other people. The one wrong act that fits this position perfectly is diverting some of that money to himself.
Test "being too generous". Generosity gives out, the idiom takes in. The two run opposite ways, so it is wrong.
Test "being lazy in doing his work". Laziness is about effort, and the idiom says nothing about effort. A man can work hard at feathering his nest.
Test "neglecting his job". This is nearer, because a dishonest trustee does fail his duty, but neglect is what follows from the act rather than the act itself. The idiom names the personal profit.
Test "making money unfairly". This matches the bird gathering for itself and matches the charity setting, where the money is not his to take.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The idiom names self-enrichment from a position of trust, so the answer is option (D), making money unfairly.
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