", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cutting_off_the_nose_to_spite_the_face&oldid=964468549, Articles with unsourced statements from December 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 25 June 2020, at 17:38. These same English, however, invented the phrase 'to save face,' 'to maintain one's dignity,' using the Chinese model." Meaning. To lose face "lose prestige" (1835), is from Chinese tu lien; hence also save face (1915). 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 AD 867, Viking pirates from Zealand and Uppsala landed in Scotland. He already inked that up. Origin is in offline mode. She demonstrated this by cutting off her nose and upper lip, and the nuns proceeded to do the same. Discover the skin-perfecting details of our limited-edition Hope is Beautiful set, supporting the Estée Lauder Companies' Breast Cancer Campaign-plus other beautifying picks with Origins Field Executive, Michelle Perry. save face (English)Origin & history See lose face Verb save face (idiomatic) To take an action or make a gesture intended to preserve one's reputation or honour.He tried to make reparations to those he had injured, partly to save face. In 1876, the consular official Sir Robert Hart published a series of essays - These from Land of Sinim - Essays on the Chinese question which included this observation: "The country [China] begins to feel that Verb "Cutting off the nose to spite the face" is an expression to describe a needlessly self-destructive over-reaction to a problem: "Don'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. The references include Cambridge Dictionary Online, Centre National de Ressources Textuelles et Lexicales, Century Dictionary, Dictionary.com, Dictionary of the Scots Language, Dictionnaire Illustré Latin-Français, Duden, Oxford English Dictionary, From "Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins" by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997). What's the origin of the phrase 'Lose face - Save face'? 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." Write a usage hint or an example and help to improve our dictionary. Verb to give face idiomatic slang…, Cite this page: "save face" in WordSense.eu Online Dictionary (24th October, 2020). people.". Holiday. The concept is a core social value in Asian cultures, among others. idiomatic figuratively -... save point (English) MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR. Noun (idiomatic, imperative) Do not... save one's breath (English) These same English, however, invented the phrase 'to save face,' 'to maintain one's dignity,' using the Chinese model." Face to face is from mid-14c. save (one's) face To try to regain favorable standing after something embarrassing has happened; to give or afford someone an opportunity to avoid embarrassment, humiliation, or shame. If you want to uninstall your games or Origin, backup any save files so you don’t lose your place in-game. Webster's Dictionary, WordNet and others. Details can be found in the individual articles. : : LOSING FACE - "The Chinese have a phrase for losing one's dignity before others, and 'tiu lien' was simply translated into 'to lose face' by English traders there in the late 19th century. 'Lose face' began life in English as a translation of the Chinese phrase 'tiu lien'. Save-face is found in Chambers Journal of Literature, Science and Arts (1917): " The civilian native staff had bolted at the first sign of trouble, 'going to report to the authorities' being their 'save face' for it!