cut off your nose to spite your face

cut (one's) nose off 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 cut his nose off 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 cut your nose off to spite your face.
See also: cut, face, nose, off, spite

cut 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 cut 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 cut off your nose to spite your face.
See also: cut, face, nose, off, spite
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cut off your nose to spite your face

or

cut your nose off to spite your face

If someone cuts off their nose to spite their face, or cuts their nose off to spite their face, they do something to punish someone but in doing so harm themselves more than they harm the person they are punishing. The manager would probably like to leave Keane out of the squad but he knows that he'd be cutting his nose off to spite his face in losing a genuinely world-class player. Note: In this expression, `to spite' means to deliberately annoy or upset.
See also: cut, face, nose, off, spite
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

cut off your nose to spite your face

disadvantage yourself in the course of trying to disadvantage another.
This idea was proverbial for self-defeating malice in both medieval Latin and medieval French, and has been found in English since the mid 16th century.
See also: cut, face, nose, off, spite
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

cut off your ˈnose to spite your ˈface

(informal) do something, for example because you are angry or proud, that is intended to hurt somebody else but in fact harms you: Keeping your class in after school as a punishment is cutting off your nose to spite your face, because you have to stay with them!This may come from the story of a Viking attack on a monastery. The nuns in the monastery cut off their own noses so that they would not be attractive to their attackers.
See also: cut, face, nose, off, spite
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
See also:
  • bite (one's) nose off to spite (one's) face
  • bite off (one's) nose 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
  • spite
  • don't cut off your nose to spite your face
  • leave yourself wide open to something
References in periodicals archive
There are so many adages that we can throw at Boris, such as "don't cut off your nose to spite your face".
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"You can't cut off your nose to spite your face by not selecting because of a mistake like that.
Ackermann backs Cipriani to continue with England
'Cut off your nose to spite your face' mentality if you still boycott CCFC.
Our poll voters have their say
To find out more 0901 6093150 AQUARIUS (Jan 21/Feb 19): You're too stubborn for your own good and could cut off your nose to spite your face. Games are being played but ignore them.
Claire Petulengro
There's no need to cut off your nose to spite your face as even a flawed situation can work.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
"You do not cut off your nose to spite your face by leaving your best player on the sidelines.
Football: LE GUEN 'PLANNED' HIS EXIT; RANGERS LATEST..
You either cut off your nose to spite your face and ignore everyone who plays for a team you hate -which, let's face it, is probably half the league and certainly most of the good teams -or you gloss over your irrational hatreds and pick them.
FOOTBALL: Dis-uniteddilemma
That said, the real loser in Microsoft's decision is not Microsoft, but consumers--who want to take advantage of Java--based code using Windows-based products--and Sun, which seems to have both feet firmly planted in the "cut off your nose to spite your face" camp.
Microsoft will abandon Java in 2004. (First in/First out: Stub Files)
Don't cut off your nose to spite your face -- you should always leave a company on good terms.
How to: resign professionally
* Don't cut off your nose to spite your face. Emulate whatever you admire about your mom, and join her in any activities you like.
"I'm Not You!"
A question to all transaction-loving Tories: Do you really want to cut off your nose to spite your face?
Bloodsucking and blood letting
"But you also have to be careful that you don't cut off your nose to spite your face; you don't do something different just to be different--something that may not serve the material.
Rob Marshall: something to dance about
It would be a shame to cancel your visit as you'll only cut off your nose to spite your face.
Dear MIRIAM: FROZEN OUT BY WIFE
Don't cut off your nose to spite your face and let it ruin your joy at being a gran
Just Joan: Heartache over name of my first grandchild
I know your mum means well and is angry on your behalf but she could be encouraging you to cut off your nose to spite your face. Don't rush into decisions.
Miriam: New dad is love cheat