stick for your own back
- idiom
- Informal
:
hacerse daño a uno mismo
- By taking on too much work, she made a stick for her own back.
Examples
-
He doesn't realize he's making a stick for his own back by not asking for help.
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If you keep lying, you'll only create a stick for your own back.
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Don't stick for your own back by ignoring the rules!
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You will only stick for your own back if you keep procrastinating.
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By refusing to ask for help, she created a stick for her own back that made the project harder.
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If you keep postponing your studies, you're just making a stick for your own back when the exams come.
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Not following the instructions carefully will surely lead to a stick for your own back later.
Synonyms
3
7.1
To do something that makes you fail
1
7.5
Cause trouble for yourself by your actions, often by accident
Do something that causes trouble for yourself later
To cause problems for yourself because of your actions
Antonyms
How Harmful
∞
2.0
- Informal
- Informal
- Informal
1
7.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
stick + for + your + own + back
The phrase is non‑standard and idiomatic: the literal senses of 'stick' and 'back' do not combine in a predictable way to yield 'cause future problems for oneself.' Even knowing 'for your own' signals self‑directed action, a B1 learner who knows the individual words would be unlikely to derive the intended figurative meaning without prior exposure.
Etymology
Stick for your own back comes from the idea of making a stick that will be used on your own back later. One popular story says if you make such a stick you are creating something that will harm you in the future, so the phrase means 'to do something that will cause future problems for yourself'.