Cut Nose Off To Spite Face

[chappie]

Does anyone know how the saying "cutting your nose off to spite your face" originated?

[Quizmonster]

The earliest recorded use of the phrase appeared in Grose's 'Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue', published in 1796. There, the version given was: "He cut off his nose to be revenged of his face."

 

It means injuring oneself in an attempt to do injury to someone else. If it was in the 'vulgar tongue' at the end of the 18th century, obviously it must have existed in everyday speech for some time before appearing in that dictionary. There is, therefore, no way in which the absolute origin of such a phrase can be pinned down.

[Octavius]

Dunno if its connected, but in defacing tombs/statues etc, ancient Egyptians used to cut the nose off the statue/tomb etc to deny the dead person passage into the afterlife because their face wouldn't be recognised by the gods.  This was usually done by subsequent kings/pharoahs etc, who wanted to deny the predecessor this right.  I like Quizmonsters reply though, very academic!