Meaning of Idiom ‘Cut and Run’
To cut and run means to depart suddenly or quickly to avoid an awkward or dangerous situation; to run away as quickly as possible. 1Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,2Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012.
Examples Of Use
“When faced with the certainty of criminal charges, the wealthy businessman decided to cut and run rather than face the music.”
“Caught red-handed, he felt his only choice was to cut and run, leaving his co-conspirators holding the bag.”
“I don’t cut and run on my friends. When they have problems, I am always there for them.”
Origin
This idiom originates in a nautical phrase from the 1700s. In those days, the quikest way for a ship to leave an area was to not take the time to raise the anchor, but instead to cut the anchor line and sail away immediately, thus ‘cut and run.’ 3Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010.,4Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012.
More Idioms Starting with C
More Cut Idioms
- Running Around Like a Chicken With its Head Cut Off
- Cut Out of Whole Cloth
- Cut Corners
- Cut And Dried
- A Cut Above
More Run Idioms
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Sources
| 1, 3. | ↲ | Ayto, John. Oxford Dictionary of English Idioms. Oxford: Oxford U, 2010. |
| 2, 4. | ↲ | Bengelsdorf, Peter. Idioms in the News – 1,000 Phrases, Real Examples. N.p.: Amz Digital Services, 2012. |