造繭自縛 [ㄗㄠˋ ㄐㄧㄢˇ ㄗˋ ㄈㄨˋ; zao4 jian3 zi4 fu4] to spin a cocoon around oneself (idiom); enmeshed in a trap of one's own devising hoist with his own petard ◄ ►