He would harm the bankers slightly by this by inconveniencing them, but harm himself also by the loss of business. To 'cut off your nose to spite your face' is to disadvantage yourself in order to do harm to an adversary.įor example, a restauranteur might refuse to serve bankers because he disapproves of money-lending. The proverbs of John Heywood What's the meaning of the phrase 'Cut off your nose to spite your face'?.