The American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms

by Christine Ammer

  cut dead → See CUT SOMEONE DEAD.

  cut down 1. Kill, as in The troops were cut down one by one as they crossed the field. [Early 1800s] 2. Also, cut down on. Reduce, decrease, as in I want to cut down my caffeine intake, or We have to cut down on our expenses. [Mid-1800s] 3. cut down to size; knock down to size. Reduce the self-importance of, humble, as in He’s so arrogant—I wish someone would cut him down to size, or She really got knocked down to size when her class ranking slipped. [Early 1900s]

  cute as a button Also, cute as a bug’s ear. Pretty or attractive in a dainty way, as in That baby is cute as a button. Cute originally was a shortening of acute, for “sharp-witted and clever,” but in the early 1800s it also took on its current meaning. Other than that buttons and bug’s hearing organs can be small, there is no good explanation for these similes.

  cut from the same cloth Of the same kind, very similar. For example, The company can’t afford to hire two more salesmen cut from the same cloth; we need a change. [1900s]

  cut ice → See CUT NO ICE.

  cut in 1. Move oneself between others, take a place ahead of one’s proper turn. When a queue of some kind is involved, it is put as cut in line For example, She was very aggressive, always cutting in the cafeteria line. [Early 1600s] 2. Also, cut in on or into. Interrupt a conversation; also, interpose oneself between dancing partners and replace one of them. For example, Before Walter was done talking, Marion cut into his conversation, or Jane was quite pleased when Arthur cut in on their dance. [First half of 1800s] 3. Also, cut in on. Include in a profitable business deal or share of the profit, as in Do you want to be cut in on this deal? or We plan to cut you in on this moneymaker. [Slang; late 1800s]

  cut into → See CUT IN.

  cut it 1. Also, cut that. Stop, as in I won’t stand for that—cut it! or If you don’t cut that, I’ll tell. [Slang; first half of 1800s] Also see CUT IT OUT. 2. Manage, tolerate, as in I don’t know how he can cut it. [Slang; c. 1900] 3. Be effective, prove satisfactory, as in She’s getting old and can no longer cut it. [Late 1900s] For a synonym see CUT THE MUSTARD. Also see the subsequent entries beginning with CUT IT.

  cut it fine Do something closely with a very slight margin, as in Tom always cut it fine, arriving at the last minute. This term uses fine in the sense of “narrow.” [Late 1800s]

  cut it out Stop, desist, as in Cut it out, stop teasing your sister. [c. 1900] Also see CUT IT, def. 1.

  cut loose 1. Speak or act without restraint, as in He cut loose with a string of curses. [Early 1800s] 2. Leave, clear out, as in Let’s cut loose right now. [Slang; 1960s]

  cut no ice Have no effect, make no impression, as in That excuse cuts no ice with me. This term predates modern refrigeration, when ice was obtained by cutting it from a large block with a sharp tool. [Late 1800s]

  cut off 1. Separate from others, isolate, as in The construction debris cut off the workers from the canteen, or The new sect was cut off from the church. [Late 1500s] 2. Stop suddenly, discontinue, as in He quickly cut off the engine, or The drama was cut off by a news flash about tornado warnings. [Late 1500s] 3. Shut off, bar, Their phone was cut off when they didn’t pay the bill, or Tom’s father threatened to cut off his allowance. [c. 1600] 4. Interrupt the course or passage of, intercept, as in The operator cut us off, or The shortstop cut off the throw to the plate. [Late 1500s] 5. Also, cut off with a shilling or cent. Disinherit, as in Grandfather cut him off with a shilling. This usage dates from the early 1700s; the purpose of bequeathing one shilling (a small sum) was to indicate that the heir had not been overlooked but was intentionally being disinherited. In America cent was substituted from about 1800 on.

  cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face Injure oneself out of pique. For example, Staying home because Meg was invited first is cutting off your nose to spite your face. Similar hyperboles appeared in several Latin proverbs; in English the expression was first recorded in 1561.

  cut off with a shilling → See CUT OFF, def. 5.

  cut of one’s jib One’s general appearance or personality, as in I don’t like the cut of Ben’s jib. In the 17th century the shape of the jib sail often identified a vessel’s nationality, and hence whether it was hostile or friendly. The term was being used figuratively by the early 1800s, often to express one’s liking or dislike for someone.

  cut one’s losses Withdraw from a losing situation, as in They decided to close down the unprofitable branch and cut their losses. This expression uses cut in the sense of “reduce” (also see CUT DOWN, def. 2).

  cut one’s teeth on Also, cut one’s eyeteeth on. Get one’s first experience by doing, or learn early in life, as in I cut my teeth on this kind of layout or He cut his eyeteeth on magazine editing. This term alludes to the literal verb to cut teeth, meaning “to have teeth first emerge through a baby’s gums,” a usage dating from the late 1600s.

  cut out 1. Excise, remove as if by cutting; also, form or shape as if by cutting or carving. For example, Young children love cutting out pictures from magazines, or The first step is cutting out the dress pattern. The first usage dates from about 1400, the second from the mid-1500s. 2. Oust, replace, or supplant someone, as in He cut out all her other boyfriends. [Mid-1600s] 3. Also, cut out for. Suited or fitted by nature, as in Dean’s not cut out for lexicography. [Mid-1600s] 4. Also, cut out for. Assigned beforehand, prepared, predetermined, as in We have our work cut out for us. [Early 1600s] 5. Deprive, as in He threatened to cut her out of his will. [Early 1800s] 6. Stop, cease, as in He cut out the motor, or Cut out that noise! [c. 1900] Also see CUT IT OUT. 7. Leave, especially in a hurry; also, run away. For example, I’m cutting out right now, or At the first hint of a police raid they cut out. [Slang; first half of 1800s] Also see CUT AND RUN.

  cut out of whole cloth → See OUT OF WHOLE CLOTH.

  cut short Abbreviate, stop abruptly, as in The thunderstorm cut short our picnic, or She cut her short, saying she’d already heard the story of their breakup. Shakespeare used this term to mean “put a sudden end to someone’s life”: “Rather than bloody war shall cut them short” (2 Henry VI, 4:4), a less common usage today. The broader usage dates from the mid-1600s.

  cut someone dead Pretend not to see or recognize someone, as in “Any fellow was to be cut dead by the entire school” (Benjamin Disraeli, Vivien Grey, 1826). This idiom, in the first half of the 1600s, began as to cut someone; in the early 1800s dead was added for greater emphasis.

  cut someone’s throat 1. Be the means of someone’s ruin, as in Joe would cut her throat if she got in his way. One can also cut one’s own throat, that is, spoil one’s own chances, as in Alice cut her own throat by her repeated absences. This hyperbolic term alludes to actual murder (or suicide). [c. 1500] 2. cut one another’s throats. Engage in destructive competition. For example, With their price war the two stores were cutting each other’s throats. This usage gave rise, by 1880, to the idiom cutthroat competition, for vicious competitive practices.

  cut teeth → See CUT ONE’S TEETH ON.

  cut the comedy Also, cut the crap. Stop talking or behaving foolishly, as in Cut the comedy! We have work to do, or It’s time you cut the crap and got to work. The first of these slangy imperatives dates from the early 1900s, the ruder variant from the 1920s.

  cut the ground from under Unexpectedly withdraw support or destroy one’s foundation, trip someone up. For example, Overriding his veto, Congress cut the ground from under the President. This metaphoric phrase alludes to removing the solid earth from under someone. [Mid-1800s]

  cut the mustard Perform satisfactorily, as in We need a better catcher; this one just doesn’t cut the mustard. The origin of this expression is disputed. Some believe it alludes to mustard in the sense of the best or main attraction (owing to its spicing up food), whereas others believe it is a corruption of PASS MUSTER. Still others hold that it concerns the preparation of mustard, which involves adding vinegar to mustard seed to “cut” (reduce) its bitterness. The expression is often in negative form, as
in the example. [Slang; c. 1900]

  cutting edge, at the Also, on the cutting edge. In the forefront, in a position of greatest advantage or importance. For example, In my youth I was at the cutting edge of medical research, or Our company is on the cutting edge of gene therapy. This metaphoric phrase alludes to the sharp edge of a knife or other cutting tool. [c. 1950]

  cut to the bone Severely reduced, as in During the Depression Grandmother’s housekeeping money was cut to the bone. The phrase to the bone, literally meaning “through the flesh to the inmost part or core,” dates from about 1400. This expression in effect means that everything extraneous has been cut away so that only bone remains.

  cut to the chase Get to the point, get on with it, as in We don’t have time to go into that, so let’s cut to the chase. This usage alludes to editing (cutting) film so as to get to the exciting chase scene in a motion picture. [Slang; 1920s]

  cut to the quick Deeply wound or distress, as in His criticism cut her to the quick. This phrase uses the quick in the sense of a vital or a very sensitive part of the body, such as under the fingernails. It also appeared in such older locutions as touched to the quick, for “deeply affected,” and stung to the quick, for “wounded, distressed,” both dating from the early 1500s. The current expression was considered a cliché from about 1850 on.

  cut up 1. Divide into smaller parts, break the continuity of, as in These meetings have cut up my whole day. [c. 1800] 2. Severely censure or criticize, as in The reviewer cut up the book mercilessly. [Mid-1700s] 3. be cut up. Be distressed or saddened, as in I was terribly cut up when she left. [Mid-1800s] Charles Dickens used this idiom in A Christmas Carol (1844): “Scrooge was not so dreadfully cut up by the sad event.” 4. Behave in a playful, comic, or boisterous way, as in On the last night of camp the children usually cut up. [Late 1800s] 5. cut up rough. Act in a rowdy, angry, or violent way, as in After a beer or two the boys began to cut up rough. [Slang; first half of 1800s]

  cylinder → See FIRE ON ALL CYLINDERS.

  d

  daddy → See BIG DADDY; GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL; SUGAR DADDY.

  dagger → In addition to the idiom beginning with DAGGERS, also see LOOK DAGGERS.

  daggers drawn, at Also, with daggers drawn. About to or ready to fight, as in Are Felix and Oscar still at daggers drawn over the rent? Although daggers today are rarely if ever used to avenge an insult or issue a challenge to a duel, this idiom remains current. Its figurative use dates from about 1800.

  daily dozen Physical exercise, as in Helen walks two miles every morning—that’s her daily dozen. This term originally referred to a set of twelve specific calisthenic exercises to be performed every day. They were devised by a famous Yale University football coach, Walter Camp (1859–1925), and came into general use in the early 1900s. Despite the physical fitness craze of the late 1900s, these exercises and their name are no longer taken literally, but the term survives in a very general way.

  daisy → In addition to the idiom beginning with DAISY, also see FRESH AS A DAISY; PUSH UP DAISIES.

  daisy chain 1. A series of connected events, activities, or experiences. For example, The daisy chain of lectures on art history encompassed the last 200 years. This metaphorical term alludes to a string of the flowers linked together. [Mid-1800s] 2. A line or circle of three or more persons engaged in simultaneous sexual activity. For example, A high-class call girl, she drew the line at daisy chains. [Vulgar slang; 1920s] 3. A series of securities transactions intended to give the impression of active trading so as to drive up the price. For example, The SEC is on the alert for unscrupulous brokers who are engaging in daisy chains. [1980s]

  dam → See WATER OVER THE DAM.

  damage → In addition to the idioms beginning with DAMAGE, also see DO SOMEONE WRONG (DAMAGE); THE DAMAGE.

  damage control Measures to minimize or curtail loss or harm. For example, As soon as they discovered the leak to the press, the senator’s office worked night and day on damage control. Used literally since the 1950s, specifically for limiting the effect of an accident on a ship, this term began to be used figuratively in the 1970s.

  damaged goods A person, especially an unmarried woman who is no longer a virgin, as in A person who has sex before marriage is not considered damaged goods in this day and age. This pejorative expression transfers the reduced value of materials (stock, provisions, etc.) marred in some way to women who have had a sexual experience. [Early 1900s]

  damn → In addition to the idioms beginning with DAMN, also see DO ONE’S BEST (DAMNEDEST); GIVE A DAMN; NOT WORTH A DAMN.

  damned if I do, damned if I don’t A situation in which one can’t win. For example, If I invite Aunt Jane, Mother will be angry, and if I don’t, I lose Jane’s friendship—I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. Eric Partridge suggested this idiom may have come from the emphatic I’m damned if I do, meaning “I definitely will not do something,” but despite the similar wording the quite different meaning argues against this theory. [Colloquial; first half of 1900s] Also see CATCH-22.

  damn well Also, damned well. Certainly, without doubt; emphatically. For example, You damn well better improve your grades, or I know damned well that he’s leaving me out. The damn in this phrase is mainly an intensifier.

  damn with faint praise Compliment so feebly that it amounts to no compliment at all, or even implies condemnation. For example, The reviewer damned the singer with faint praise, admiring her dress but not mentioning her voice. This idea was already expressed in Roman times by Favorinus (c. A.D. 110) but the actual expression comes from Alexander Pope’s Epistle to Doctor Arbuthnot (1733): “Damn with faint praise, assent with civil leer, and, without sneering, teach the rest to sneer.”

  damper → See PUT A DAMPER ON.

  dance → In addition to the idioms beginning with DANCE, also see LEAD A CHASE (DANCE); SONG AND DANCE.

  dance attendance on Wait on attentively and obsequiously, obey someone’s every wish or whim. For example, He expected his secretary to dance attendance on him so she quit her job. This expression alludes to the old custom of making a bride dance with every wedding guest. In the 1500s it was used first to mean “await” an audience with someone, but by about 1600 it had acquired its present meaning. Also see AT SOMEONE’S BECK AND CALL.

  dance to another tune Change one’s manner, behavior, or attitude. For example, He’ll be dancing to another tune when he finds out that the board means business. Also see CHANGE ONE’S TUNE.

  dander → See GET SOMEONE’S BACK (DANDER) UP.

  dandy → See FINE AND DANDY.

  dangerous → See LITTLE KNOWLEDGE IS A DANGEROUS THING; LIVE DANGEROUSLY.

  dare say → See I DARE SAY.

  dark → In addition to the idioms beginning with DARK, also see IN THE DARK; LEAP IN THE DARK; SHOT IN THE DARK; WHISTLE IN THE DARK.

  darken someone’s door Come unwanted to someone’s home, as in I told him to get out and never darken my door again. The verb darken here refers to casting one’s shadow across the threshold, a word that occasionally was substituted for door. As an imperative, the expression is associated with Victorian melodrama, where someone (usually a young woman or man) is thrown out of the parental home for some misdeed, but it is actually much older. Benjamin Franklin used it in The Busybody (1729): “I am afraid she would resent it so as never to darken my doors again.”

  dark horse A little known, unexpectedly successful entrant, as in You never can tell—some dark horse may come along and win a Senate seat. This metaphoric expression originally alluded to an unknown horse winning a race and was so used in a novel by Benjamin Disraeli (The Young Duke, 1831). It soon began to be transferred to political candidates, among the first of whom was James K. Polk. He won the 1844 Democratic Presidential nomination on the eighth ballot and went on to win the election.

  dash off 1. Write or sketch hastily, as in I’m just going to dash off a letter. [Early 1700s] 2. Hurry away, depart hastily, as in He dashed off as though he was being chased.
This usage employs the verb dash in the sense of “impetuously run” or “rush,” a usage dating from about 1300.

  dash someone’s hopes Destroy someone’s plans, disappoint or disillusion. For example, That fall dashed her hopes of a gold medal. This term uses dash in the sense of “destroy,” a usage surviving only in this idiom. [Second half of 1500s]

  date → In addition to the idiom beginning with DATE, also see BLIND DATE; BRING UP TO DATE; DOUBLE DATE; MAKE A DATE; OUT OF DATE; TO DATE; UP TO DATE.

  date rape Sexual intercourse forced by the victim’s social escort. For example, Date rape is much more common on college campuses than was previously realized. This term originated in the 1980s, when awareness of the phenomenon increased exponentially.

  Davy Jones’s locker Also, Davy’s locker. The bottom of the sea, especially the grave of those who die at sea. For example, Caught out at sea during the hurricane, they thought they were heading for Davy Jones’s locker. This term, first recorded in 1726, alludes to Davy Jones, a name given to the evil spirit of the sea. The ultimate origin of both Davy and Jones is disputed. A logical theory is that Jones referred to the biblical Jonah who was swallowed by a whale, and Davy was a corruption of a West Indian word for “devil.”

  dawn → In addition to the idiom beginning with DAWN, also see CRACK OF DAWN; LIGHT DAWNED.

  dawn on Also, dawn upon. Become evident or understood, as in It finally dawned on him that he was expected to call them, or Around noon it dawned upon me that I had never eaten breakfast. This expression transfers the beginning of daylight to the beginning of a thought process. Harriet Beecher Stowe had it in Uncle Tom’s Cabin (1852): “The idea that they had either feelings or rights had never dawned upon her.” [Mid-1800s]

  day → In addition to the idioms beginning with DAY, also see ALL IN A DAY’S WORK; ANY DAY; APPLE A DAY; BACK IN THE DAY; BAD HAIR DAY; BREAK OF DAY; BY THE DAY; CALL IT A DAY; CARRY THE DAY; DIFFERENT AS NIGHT AND DAY; DOG DAYS; DON’T GIVE UP YOUR DAY JOB; DYING DAY; EVERY DOG HAS ITS DAY; FIELD DAY; FOR DAYS ON END; FOREVER AND A DAY; FROM THIS DAY FORWARD; GOOD DAY; HAD ITS DAY; HAPPY AS THE DAY IS LONG; HEAVENLY DAYS; IN ALL ONE’S BORN DAYS; IN THE COLD LIGHT OF DAY; IN THIS DAY AND AGE; JUST ANOTHER DAY AT THE OFFICE; LATE IN THE DAY; MAKE A DAY OF IT; MAKE ONE’S DAY; NAME THE DAY; NIGHT AND DAY; NOT GIVE SOMEONE THE TIME OF DAY; NOT ONE’S DAY; ONE OF THESE DAYS; ONE OF THOSE DAYS; ORDER OF THE DAY; PASS THE TIME (OF DAY); PLAIN AS DAY; RAINY DAY; RED-LETTER DAY; ROME WASN’T BUILT IN A DAY; SALAD DAYS; SAVE THE DAY; SEEN BETTER DAYS; SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY; THAT’LL BE THE DAY; THE OTHER DAY; TIME OF DAY; TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY; WIN THROUGH (THE DAY).