Cut off one's nose to spite one's face
Meaning
To harm oneself or disadvantage one's own situation out of petty anger or a desire for revenge against someone else.
Origin
Imagine the profound foolishness of someone so consumed by petty anger that they would deliberately disfigure themselves, believing it would somehow punish an adversary. This stark image, though absurd, became a powerful warning in 17th-century England, giving birth to the idiom 'cut off one's nose to spite one's face.' It wasn't about actual self-mutilation, but rather a vivid metaphor for any act of self-sabotage—inflicting personal harm, loss, or inconvenience—solely out of stubbornness or a desire for insignificant revenge. The phrase perfectly encapsulated the self-defeating nature of such actions, where one's own well-being is sacrificed on the altar of spite.
Examples
- She refused the promotion because it meant working with her former rival, but in doing so, she really cut off her nose to spite her face by missing a huge career opportunity.
- The manager fired his most skilled employee in a fit of pique, a classic case of cutting off his nose to spite his face, as the company's output immediately suffered.