bite off (one's) nose to spite (one's) face
bite off (one's) nose to spite (one's) face
To seek retribution against someone else in a manner that is ultimately harmful or disadvantageous to oneself. He fired Tom for criticizing his managerial skills, but Tom accounts for nearly 75% of his branch's quarterly sales, so all he's really done is bitten off his nose to spite his face. I know you're mad at your parents, but running away is only going to make your own life harder. Don't bite off your nose to spite your face.
See also: bite, face, nose, off, spite
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
- bite (one's) nose off to spite (one's) face
- cut (one's) nose off to spite (one's) face
- cut nose off to spite face
- cut off (one's) nose to spite (one's) face
- cut off nose to spite face
- cut off one's nose to spite one's face
- cut off your nose to spite your face
- spite
- don't cut off your nose to spite your face
- leave yourself wide open to something