A dictionary of Proverbs (Oxford Paperback Reference)

The CUSTOMER is always right

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  1917 B. PAIN Confessions of Alphonse iii. The great success of a restaurant is built up on this principle—le patron n’a jamais tort—the customer is always in the right! 1928 C. SANDBURG Good Morning, America 17 Behold the proverbs of a nation. .. Let one hand wash the other. The customer is always right. 1941 D. LODGE Death & Taxes ii. ‘I’m drunk.’ . . ‘You shouldn’t do it, George.’ ‘Business,’ he said solemnly. ‘The customer is always right.’ 1980 Times 30 Sept. 9 That the customer is always right is a theory attributed to John Wanamaker, the American retail prince who founded the stores which bear his name. 2001 Washington Times 3 Sept. A12 The old man wasn’t much on theory, but he understood value received, good will, repeat business, that the customer is always right and above all the importance of a trusted brand. "buying and selling
  

Don’t CUT off your nose to spite your face
A warning against spiteful revenge which results in one’s own hurt or loss. The metaphorical phrase to cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face is very frequently found. Cf. medieval L. male ulciscitur dedecus sibi illatum, qui amputat nasum suum, he who cuts off his nose takes poor revenge for a shame inflicted on him; mid 14th-cent. Fr. qui cope son nes, sa face est despechie, the man who cuts off his nose spites his face.

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  c 1560 Deceit of Women I1 He that byteth hys nose of, shameth hys face. 1788 F. GROSE Dict. Vulgar Tongue (ed. 2) U3^V He cut off his nose to be revenged of his face, said of one who, to be revenged of his neighbour, has materially injured himself. 1889 R. L. STEVENSON Master of Ballantrae x. He was in that humour when a man—in the words of the old adage—will cut off his nose to spite his face. 1964 RIDOUT & WITTING English Proverbs Explained 43 Don’t cut off your nose to spite your face. 1980 A. CRAIG Pint of Murder vi. So the next thing anybody knew she’d run off an’ married that no-good Bob Bascom an’ if that ain’t cuttin’ off your nose to spite your face, I’d like to know what is. "malice; revenge