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[curry favor] <v.> To flatter or serve someone to get his help or friendship. * /Joe tried to curry favor with the new teacher by doing little services that she didn't really want./ * /Jim tried to curry favor with the new girl by telling her she was the prettiest girl in the class./ Compare: POLISH THE APPLE.

[curve] See: THROW A CURVE.

[cut] See: FISH OR CUT BAIT.

[cut a class] <v. phr.> To be truant; to deliberately miss a class and do something else instead. * /"If you keep cutting classes the way you do, you will almost surely flunk this course," John's professor said to him./

[cut a figure] <v. phr.> To make a favorable impression; carry off an activity with dignity and grace. * /With his handsome face and sporty figure, Harry cuts quite a figure with all the ladies./

[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./

[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.

D

[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./

[dark horse] <n.>, <informal> A political candidate little known to the general voting public; a candidate who was not expected to run. * /Every once in a while a dark horse candidate gets elected President./

[dark of the moon] <n. phr.>, <literary> A time when the moon is not shining or cannot be seen. * /A was the dark of the moon when the scouts reached camp and they had to use flashlights to find their tents./ Contrast: FULL OF THE MOON.

[dash cold water on] See: THROW COLD WATER ON.

[dash light] <n.> A light on the front inside of a car or vehicle. * /Henry stopped the car and turned on the dash lights to read the road map./

[dash off] <v.> To make, do, or finish quickly; especially, to draw, paint, or write hurriedly. * /Ann took out her drawing pad and pencil and dashed off a sketch of the Indians./ * /John can dash off several letters while Mary writes only one./ * /Charles had forgotten to write his English report and dashed it off just before class./

[date] See: DOUBLE-DATE, TO DATE.