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poacher

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poacher turned gamekeeper

A person whose job or role has completely changed, from one extreme to another. Primarily heard in UK. The notorious computer hacker who once stole money from unsuspecting Internet users now helps the government catch other hackers—it's a strange case of poacher turned gamekeeper.

See also: gamekeeper, poacher, turn

old poacher makes the best gamekeeper

Prov. The best person to guard something is someone who knows all about how to steal it, so he or she can anticipate what thieves might do. We should hire the computer hacker to design computer security systems. An old poacher makes the best gamekeeper.

See also: gamekeeper, make, old, poacher

a poacher turned gamekeeper

  (British)

someone whose job seems to involve working against the person who is now doing the job which they did before

Usage notes: A poacher illegally kills and steals animals on someone else's land, and a gamekeeper's job is to stop this from happening.

He used to be the the union rep but now he's in management - a case of poacher turned gamekeeper.

See also: gamekeeper, poacher, turn