This expression is similar to "what goes around, comes around" and basically means that the consequences of
one'
s evil actions catch up in a negative way. The idea that a wrongful curse comes back to the one who curses as a "
bird returns to its nest" dates back to the days of antiquity. However, it wasn't until the 19th Century that Robert Southey wrote that "curses are like a young chicken: they always come home to roost." Since then, the idea of
evil men creating returns to their own door has been encapsulated in this expression.