[cut back]{v. phr.} To diminish; lessen; decrease (said of budgets). •/The state had to cut back on the university budget./
[cutback]{n.} An act of decreasing monetary sources. •/The cutback in military spending has caused many bases to be closed./
[cut both ways] or [cut two ways] {v. phr.} To have two effects; cause injury to both sides. •/People who gossip find it cuts both ways./
[cut corners]{v. phr.} 1. To take a short way; not go to each corner. •/He cut corners going home in a hurry./ 2. To save cost or effort; manage in a thrifty way; be saving. •/John’s father asked him to cut corners all he could in college./ 3. To do less than a very good job; do only what you must do on a job. •/He had cut corners in building his house, and it didn’t stand up well./
[cut down]{v.} To lessen; reduce; limit. •/Tom had to cut down expenses./ •/The doctor told Mr. Jones to cut down on smoking./
[cut down to size]{v. phr.}, {informal} To prove that someone is not as good as he thinks. •/The big boy told John he could beat him, but John was a good boxer and soon cut him down to size./ Syn.: PUT IN ONE’S PLACE.
[cut ice]{v. phr.}, {informal} To make a difference; make an impression; be accepted as important. — Usually used in negative, interrogative, or conditional sentences. •/When Frank had found a movie he liked, what others said cut no ice with him./ •/Jones is democratic; a man’s money or importance never cuts any ice with him./ •/Does comfort cut any ice with you?/ •/I don’t know if beauty in a woman cuts any ice with him./
[cut in]{v.} 1. To force your way into a place between others in a line of cars, people, etc.; push in. •/After passing several cars, Fred cut in too soon and nearly caused an accident./ — Often used with "on". •/A car passed Jean and cut in on her too close; she had to brake quickly or she would have hit it./ •/The teacher beside the lunch line saw Pete cut in, and she sent him back to wait his turn./ 2. To stop a talk or program for a time; interrupt. •/While Mary and Jim were talking on the porch, Mary’s little brother cut in on them and began to tell about his fishing trip./ •/While we were watching the late show, an announcer cut in to tell who won the election./ Syn.: BREAK IN(2). 3. {informal} To tap a dancer on the shoulder and claim the partner. •/Mary was a good dancer and a boy could seldom finish a dance with her; someone always cut in./ — Often used with "on". •/At the leap year dance, Jane cut in on Sally because she wanted to dance with Sally’s handsome date./ 4. To connect to an electrical circuit or to a machine. •/Harry threw the switch and cut in the motor./ •/The airplane pilot cut in a spare gas tank./ 5. {informal} To take in; include. •/When John’s friends got a big contract, they cut John in./
[cut into]{v.} 1. To make less; reduce. •/The union made the company pay higher wages, which cut into the profits./ •/The other houses got old and shabby, and that cut into the value of his house./ •/At first Smith led in votes, but more votes came in and cut into his lead./ 2. To get into by cutting in. •/She heard the other women gossiping and cut into the talk./ •/While Bill was passing another car, a truck came around a curve heading for him, and Bill cut back into line quickly./
[cut loose]{v.} 1. To free from ties or connections, cut the fastenings of. •/The thief hastily cut the boat loose from its anchor./ Compare: LET LOOSE(1a). 2. {informal} To break away from control; get away and be free. •/The boy left home and cut loose from his parents' control./ 3. {informal} To behave freely or wildly. •/The men had come to the convention to have a good time, and they really cut loose./ •/When he got the news of his job promotion, Jack cut loose with a loud "Yippee!"/ Compare: LET GO(6).
[cut no ice]{v. phr.} To have no effect; achieve no result; be insignificant. •/The fact that the accused is a millionaire will cut no ice with this particular judge./
[cut off]{v.} 1. To separate or block. •/The flood cut the townspeople off from the rest of the world./ •/The woods cut off the view./ •/His rudeness cuts him off from friends he might have./ 2. To interrupt or stop. •/The television show was cut off by a special news report./ •/We were told to pay the bill or the water would be cut off./ 3. To end the life of; cause the death of. •/Disease cut Smith off in the best part of life./ 4. To give nothing to at death; leave out of a will. •/Jane married a man her father hated, and her father cut her off./ •/Frank’s uncle cut him off without a penny./ 5. To stop from operating; turn a switch to stop. •/The ship cut off its engines as it neared the dock./ Syn.: SHUT OFF, TURN OFF.
[cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face]{v. phr.} To suffer from an action intended originally to harm another person. •/In walking out and leaving his employer in the lurch, John really cut off his nose to spite his face, since no business wanted to hire him afterwards./
[cut offs]{n.}, {colloquial} Pants cut to the length of shorts and usually left unhemmed so as to look old and worn, e.g., considered cool and elegant. •/Jack always wears cut-offs during the summer./
[cut one’s eyeteeth on] See: CUT TEETH(2).
[cut one’s losses]{v. phr.} To stop spending time, money, or energy on unprofitable projects and concentrate on what goes well. •/"Just cut your losses, Jim," his father suggested, "and get on with the rest of your life."/
[cut one’s teeth on] See: CUT TEETH(2).
[cut one’s throat]{v. phr.}, {informal} To spoil one’s chances; ruin a person. •/He cut his own throat by his carelessness./ •/The younger men in the company were cutting each other’s throats in their eagerness to win success./ •/John cut Freddie’s throat with Mary by telling her lies./
[cut out(1)]{v.}, {slang} 1. To stop; quit. •/All right, now — let’s cut out the talking./ •/He was teasing the dog and Joe told him to cut it out./ Compare: BREAK UP(3). 2. To displace in favor. •/Tony cut Ed out with Mary./ •/John cut out two or three other men in trying for a better job./
[cut out(2)]{adj.} 1. Made ready; given for action; facing. •/Mary agreed to stay with her teacher’s children all day; she did not know what was cut out for her./ — Often used in the phrase "have one’s work cut out for one." •/If Mr. Perkins wants to become a senator, he has his work cut out fur him./ 2. Suited to; fitted for. •/Warren seemed to be cut out for the law. It was clear very early that Fred was cut out to he a doctor./
[cut rate(1)]{n.} A lower price; a price less than usual. •/Toys are on sale at the store for cut rates./
[cut-rate(2)]{adj.} Sold for a price lower than usual; selling cheap things. •/If you buy cut-rate things, be sure they are good quality first./ •/John’s brother bought a cut-rate bicycle at the second-hand store./ •/There is a cut-rate drug-store on the corner./
[cut short]{v.} To stop or interrupt suddenly; end suddenly or too soon. •/Rain cut short the ball game./ •/An auto accident cut short the man’s life./ •/When Dick began to tell about his summer vacation the teacher cut him short, saying "Tell us about that another time."/
[cut teeth]{v. phr.} 1. To have teeth grow out through the gums. •/The baby was cross because he was cutting teeth./ 2. or [cut eye teeth] {informal} To learn something very early in life; gain experience; start by learning or doing. — Used with a possessive, usually used with "on". •/The professional ball player cut his teeth on a baseball bat in the sandlots./ •/Mr. Jones’s company is building the new Post Office in town but Mr. Jones cut his eye teeth as a carpenter./
[cut the ground from under]{v. phr.}{informal} To make (someone) fail; upset the plans of; spoil the argument for (a person) in advance. •/Paul wanted to he captain but we cut the ground from under him by saying that Henry was the best player on the team./ •/Several workers applied for the retiring foreman’s job, but the owner cut the ground from under them by hiring a foreman from another company./
[cut the mustard]{v. phr.}, {slang} To do well enough in what needs to be done; to succeed. •/His older brothers and sisters helped Max through high school, but he couldn’t cut the mustard in college./
[cut-throat]{adj.} Severe; intense; unrelenting. •/There is cut-throat competition among the various software companies today./
[cut to pieces]{v. phr.} 1. To divide into small parts with something sharp; cut badly or completely. •/Baby has cut the newspaper to pieces with scissors./ 2. To destroy or defeat completely. •/The soldiers were cut to pieces by the Indians./ •/When Dick showed his book report to his big sister for correction, she cut it to pieces./
[cut to the bone]{v. phr.} To make (something) the least or smallest possible amount; reduce severely; leave out everything extra or unnecessary from. •/Father cut Jane’s allowance to the bone for disobeying him./ •/When father lost his job, our living expenses had to be cut to the bone./
[cut to the quick]{v. phr.} To hurt someone’s feelings deeply. •/The children 's teasing cut Mary to the quick./
[cut two ways] See: CUT BOTH WAYS.
[cut up]{v.} 1. {informal} To hurt the feelings of; wound. — Usually used in the passive. •/John was badly cut up when Susie gave him back his ring./ 2. {slang} To act funny or rough; clown, •/Joe would always cut up if there were any girls watching./ •/At the party Jim and Ron were cutting up and broke a chair./ Compare: FOOL AROUND.
[dab] See: SMACK-DAB or SMACK-TO DAB.
[dagger] See: CLOAK-AND-DAGGER, LOOK DAGGERS.
[daily dozen]{n.}, {informal} Gymnastic exercises; especially, several different exercises done daily. •/The boys did their daily dozen early each morning./
[daisy] See: PUSH UP DAISIES.
[dam] See: WATER OVER THE DAM.
[damn] See: GIVE A HANG, NOT WORTH A TINKER’S DAMN.
[damned if one does, damned if one doesn’t]{adj. phr.} No matter what one does, someone is likely to criticize one. •/No matter what decisions I make, there are always some people who will approve them and those who won’t. It is a classical case of "damned if I do, damned if I don’t."/
[dance] See: SONG AND DANCE.
[dance to another tune]{v. phr.} To talk or act differently, usually better because things have changed; be more polite or obedient because you are forced to do it. •/Johnny refused to do his homework but punishment made him dance to another tune./ Compare: CHANGE ONE’S TUNE, SING A DIFFERENT TUNE.
[dander] See: GET ONE’S BACK UP, GET ONE’S DANDER UP or GET ONE’S IRISH UP.
[dandy] See: JIM-DANDY.
[dangerous] See: A LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING.
[dare say]{v. phr.} To think probable; suppose; believe. — Used in first person. •/Mary is unhappy now but I dare say she will be laughing about this tomorrow./ •/There is no more ice cream on the table, but I dare say we can find some in the kitchen./
[dare one to do something]{v. phr.} To challenge someone to do something. •/"I dare you to jump off that rock into the sea," Fred said to Jack./
[dark] See: IN THE DARK, SHOT IN THE DARK, WHISTLE IN THE DARK.
[darken one’s door] or [darken the door] To appear, as in a doorway; enter someone’s home or establishment. — Used in negative imperative sentences especially with "never" and "again". •/If you leave this house now, never darken my door again./ •/After a son shamed his father by having to go to prison, the father told him never to darken his door again./
