Can anyone translate this idiom or saying
2006-06-29 17:31:41 · 7 answers · asked by lety_bo2002 1 in Education & Reference ➔ Quotations
This comes the Greek play Medea. Medea was mad at her husband Jason (remember Jason & the Argonauts?) who left her & her kids for another woman. To get even with him, she killed her kids. The overall meaning is that you do something to punish someone else, but in the process you hurt yourself even more.
2006-06-30 01:54:05 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 5⤊ 0⤋
I take it to mean that people, due to foolish pride or just plain stupidity, will reject something that is being offered and thereby making their situation that much more difficult. For example, a guy and a gal are out someways from home, and the girl, for some reason, decides to get out and walk home. The guy pulls up and says that he is very sorry and that it will never happen again and that he is worried about her out there all alone. The girl decides that she does want him to worry about her out there all alone so she tells him to drop dead and just leave her alone. So the guy leaves. On the way home it starts to rain and then she breaks a heal and then she gets mugged.
That is a clear example of cutting off her nose to spite her face. Because who was she really hurting? Herself.
2006-06-29 22:56:18 · answer #2 · answered by lisa l 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means that pettiness can hurt you more than anyone else. The cutting off of the nose symbolizes a harsh act done to cause suffering but defeating it's own purpose because now the whole thing (the face) is ugly, and everyone can see it for what it is.
Good Luck!
2006-06-29 17:46:03 · answer #3 · answered by Malachite Maenad 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
A person whose petty vengefulness is exessive to the point of being self defeating.
One who reaction to any insult or inconvenience is hateful and above and beyond what might be appropriate.
2006-07-01 03:54:50 · answer #4 · answered by corvis_9 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have never been able to understand what that saying means! Glad to see someone else doesn't get it also!
2006-06-29 17:36:05 · answer #5 · answered by a_phantoms_rose 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It means people will go out of their way to cause someone trouble/harm/whatever if they are mad/angry/upset/whatever enough
2006-06-29 17:34:56 · answer #6 · answered by jstanotherqwtchic 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They do stupid things.
2006-06-29 17:34:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋