cut your nose to spite your face example
Cutting off the nose to spite the face - wikipedia Cutting off the nose to spite the face Jump to : navigation , search Look up cut off one 's nose to spite one 's face in Wiktionary , the free dictionary . A literal illustration of the phrase . `` Cutting off the nose to spite the face '' is an expression to describe a needlessly self - destructive over-reaction to a problem : `` Do n't cut off your nose to spite your face '' is a warning against acting out of pique , or against pursuing revenge in a way that would damage oneself more than the object of one 's anger . Contents ( hide ) 1 Origins 2 Historical examples 3 See also 4 References Origins ( edit ) The phrase is known to have been used in the 12th century . It may be associated with the numerous legends of pious women disfiguring themselves in order to protect their virginity . These cases include Saint Eusebia , Saint Ebba , Saint Oda of Hainault and Saint Margaret of Hungary . One example of these cases is that of Saint Ebba ( sometimes called Æbbe the Younger ) , the Mother Superior of the monastery of Coldingham Priory . In 867 AD , Viking pirates from Zealand and Uppsala landed in Scotland . When news of the raid reached Saint Ebba , she gathered her nuns together and urged them to disfigure themselves , so that they might be unappealing to the Vikings . In this way , they hoped to protect their chastity . She demonstrated this by cutting off her nose and upper lip , and the nuns proceeded to do the same . The Viking raiders were so disgusted that they burned the entire building to the ground with the nuns inside . It was not uncommon in the Middle Ages for a person to cut off the nose of another for various reasons , including punishment from the state , or as an act of revenge . Cognitive scientist Steven Pinker notes that the phrase may have originated from this practice , as at this time `` cutting off someone 's nose was the prototypical act of spite . '' The expression has since become a blanket term for ( often unwise ) self - destructive actions motivated purely by anger or desire for revenge . For example , if a man was angered by his wife , he might burn down their house to punish her ; however , burning down her house would also mean burning down his , along with all of their possessions . In the 1796 edition of Grose 's Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue , `` He cut off his nose to be revenged of his face '' is defined as `` one who , to be revenged on his neighbor , has materially injured himself . '' The word `` face '' is used here in the sense of `` honor . '' Historical examples ( edit ) The Embargo Act of 1807 , passed by the United States Congress in protest against British and French interference in U.S. shipping . The Act had the side - effect of prohibiting nearly all U.S. exports and most imports , greatly disrupting the U.S. economy . See also ( edit ) Rhinectomy , the removal of the nose Appeal to spite Inequity aversion Pyrrhic victory Self - harm Spite ( sentiment ) The Virgin Martyr Moby - Dick References ( edit ) Jump up ^ The Phrase Finder definition Jump up ^ Jane Tibbetts Schulenburg , `` At What Cost Virginity ? Sanctity and the Heroics of Virginity '' , Forgetful of their sex : female sanctity and society , ca . 500 - 1100 Jump up ^ `` St. Aebbe the Younger '' . Jump up ^ Groebner , V. `` Losing face , saving face : Noses and honor in the late medieval town . '' History Workshop Journal , 40 , 1 - 15 . Jump up ^ Pinker , S . The better angels of our nature : Why violence has declined . Penguin Group , 2011 . p. 68 . Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cutting_off_the_nose_to_spite_the_face&oldid=809725802 '' Categories : English - language idioms Proverbs Hidden categories : All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015 Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 11 November 2017 , at 00 : 22 . Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply . By using this site , you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy . Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation , Inc. , a non-profit organization . About Wikipedia
1. Cutting off the nose to spite the face
2. Self-destructive over-reaction
3. Revenge and anger
4. Historical examples of disfigurement
5. Unwise actions motivated by anger or revenge