作繭自縛 [ㄗㄨㄛˋ ㄐㄧㄢˇ ㄗˋ ㄈㄨˋ; zuo4 jian3 zi4 fu4] to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising hoist by his own petard ◄ ►