Adam Makkai - Словарь американских идиом: 8000 единиц

[cut across] {v.} 1. To cross or go through instead of going around; go a short way. •/ John didn’t want to walk to the corner and turn, so he cut across the yard to the next street. / 2. To go beyond to include; stretch over to act on; affect. •/ The love for reading cuts across all classes of people, rich and poor. /

[cut-and-dried] {adj. phr.} Decided or expected beforehand; following the same old line; doing the usual thing. •/ The decision of the judge was cut-and-dried. / •/ The ways of the king’s court were cut-and-dried. / •/ People at the convention heard many cut-and-dried speeches. /

[cut and run] {v.} , {informal} To abandon an unfavorable situation. •/ When the price of coffee dropped sharply many investors wanted to cut and run. /

[cut a swathe] {v. phr.} 1a. To mow a path through a field. •/ The farmer cut a swathe through the high grass with his scythe. / 1b. To cut down as if by mowing. •/ The machine gun cut a swathe in the lines of enemy soldiers. / 2. {informal} To attract notice; make an impression; seem important. •/ The movie star cut a wide swathe when he walked down the street. / •/ John tries to show off and cut a big swathe with the girls. / Compare: GO OVER(6), MAKE A HIT.

[cut back] {v.} 1. To change direction suddenly while going at full speed. •/ The halfback started to his left, cut back to his right, and ran for a touchdown. / 2. To use fewer or use less. •/ After the big job was finished, the builder cut back the number of men working for him. / •/ The school employed forty teachers until a lower budget forced it to cut back. /

[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. /