set the fox to mind the geese
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
To put someone in charge who is likely to harm or exploit what they are supposed to protect
Literally: a fox guarding geese
Examples
The new manager has a history of corruption, it's like setting the fox to mind the geese
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “set the fox to mind the geese” mean?
To put someone in charge who is likely to harm or exploit what they are supposed to protect Literally: a fox guarding geese
Is “set the fox to mind the geese” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.