天てんを仰あおぎて唾つばきす

expression, suru verb (precursor)

to harm oneself by trying to harm another; to cut off one's nose to spite one's face

Idiomatic expression with a literal image of looking up and spitting, only for the spit to fall back on oneself. Used to describe self-defeating revenge or spite.

See also: 天に唾する

• 彼かれを困こまらせようとして、結けっ局きょく天てんを仰あおぎて唾つばきすようなことになった。

  Trying to cause him trouble ended up being like cutting off my nose to spite my face.

• 「天てんを仰あおぎて唾つばきす」とは、人ひとに害がいを与あたえようとして自じ分ぶんに返かえってくることのたとえだ。

  'Ten o aogite tsubakisu' is a metaphor for when an attempt to harm someone else backfires on oneself.