cut off one's nose to spite one's face

English

WOTD – 16 December 2011

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Verb

cut off one's nose to spite one's face (third-person singular simple present cuts off one's nose to spite one's face, present participle cutting off one's nose to spite one's face, simple past and past participle cut off one's nose to spite one's face)

(idiomatic) To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.

Synonyms

dig one's own grave

Translations

harm oneself as a result of trying to harm an adversary

Arabic: please add this translation if you can
Chinese:
Mandarin: 損人不利己／损人不利己 (zh) (sǔnrén bù lìjǐ)
Dutch: wie zijn neus schendt schendt zijn aangezicht
Finnish: sattua omaan nilkkaan
French: please add this translation if you can
German: sich ins eigene Fleisch schneiden (de)
Italian: darsi la zappa sui piedi, spararsi sui piedi
Romanian: (lit. to hit oneself in the head) a-și da singur în cap, (lit. to steal one's own cap) a-și fura singur căciula
Russian: вы́колю себе́ глаз, пусть у тёщи зять криво́й бу́дет (výkolju sebé glaz, pustʹ u tjóšči zjatʹ krivój búdet) (lit.: I'll poke my own eye out, let my mother-in-law have a one-eyed son-in-law), назло́ ма́ме отморо́жу у́ши (ru) (nazló máme otmoróžu úši) (lit: I'll get my ears frostbitten to spite my mom)
Spanish: tirar piedras contra el propio tejado (es), tirar piedras al propio tejado, tirar piedras sobre el propio tejado
Uzbek: burgaga achchiq qilib ko'rpa yoqish (lit. burn a blanket to spite bedbugs)