Customhouse-officer, an aperient pill.
Cut, to run away, move off quickly; to cease doing anything; CUT AND RUN, to quit work, or occupation, and start off at once—Sea phrase, “CUT the cable and RUN before the wind;” to CUT DIDOES, synonymous with to CUT CAPERS; CUT A DASH, make a show; CUT A CAPER, to dance or show off in a strange manner; CUT A FIGURE, to make either a good or bad appearance; CUT IT, desist, be quiet, go away, leave what you are doing and run; CUT IT SHORT, cease being prolix, “make short work” of what you have in hand; CUT OUT, to excel, thus in affairs of gallantry one Adonis is said to CUT the other out in the affections of the wished-for lady—Sea phrase, from CUTTING out a ship from the enemy’s port. Cut that! be quiet, or stop; CUT OUT OF, done out of; CUT OF ONE’S JIB, the expression or cast of his countenance [see JIB]; TO CUT ONE’S COMB, to take down a conceited person, from the practice of cutting the combs of capons [see COMB CUT]; CUT AND COME AGAIN, plenty, if one cut does not suffice, plenty remains to come at again; CUT UP, to mortify, to criticise severely, or expose; CUT UP SHINES, to play tricks; CUT ONE’S STICK, to be off quickly, i.e., to be in readiness for a journey, further elaborated into AMPUTATE YOUR MAHOGANY [see STICK]; CUT IT FAT, to exaggerate or show off in an extensive manner; to CUT UP FAT, or CUT UP WELL, to die, leaving a large property; CUT UNDER, to undersell; CUT YOUR LUCKY, to run off; CUT ONE’S CART, to expose unfair tricks; CUT AN ACQUAINTANCE, to cease friendly intercourse with him; “CUT UP ROUGH,” to become obstreperous and dangerous; to have “CUT ONE’S EYE-TEETH,” i.e., to be wide awake, knowing; to DRAW CUTS, to cast lots with papers of unequal lengths.
Cut, to take cards from a pack, with a view to decide by comparison which persons shall be partners, or which players shall deal. Not less than four cards must be picked up by the cutter, and the bottom one is the CUT. When cutting for a “turn-up,” the residuum is called the CUT.
Cut, in theatrical language, means to strike out portions of a dramatic piece, so as to render it shorter for representation. A late treasurer of one of the so-called Patent Theatres when asked his opinion of a new play, always gave utterance to the brief but safe piece of criticism, “Wants cutting.”
Cut, tipsy.—Old.
Cut, to compete in business; “a CUTTING trade,” one conducted on competitive principles, where the profits are very closely shaved.
Cut-throat, a butcher, a cattle-slaughterer; a ruffian.
Cute, sharp, cunning. Abbreviation of ACUTE.
Cutter, a ruffian, a cut-purse. Of Robin Hood it was said—
He with a crew went forth
Of lusty CUTTERS, bold and strong,
And robbed in the north.”
Cutter, a swashbuckler—balaffreux taillebras, fendeur de naseaux.—Cotgrave.
We are bound to relieve one another.”
This ancient cant word now survives in the phrase, “to swear like a CUTTER.”
Cutting-shop, a place where cheap rough goods are sold.
Cutty-pipe, a short clay pipe. Scotch, CUTTY, short.
Cutty-sark, a short chemise.—Scotch. A scantily-draped lady is so called by Burns.
And in an instant all was dark.”