cut off one's nose to spite one's face
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 one's losses
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 throat
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
have one's work cut out
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.
He kept bothering her, so finally she told him to cut it out. However, he wouldn’t knock it off until her larger brother appeared.
To displace in favor.
Tony cut Ed out with Mary.
John cut out two or three other men in trying for a better job.
Made ready; given for action; facing. Often used in the phrase "have one's work cut out for one."
Mary agreed to stay with her teacher's children all day; she did not know what was cut out for her.
If Mr. Perkins wants to become a senator, he has his work cut out for him.
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.
To remove by cutting.
The child likes to cut out pictures from the newspaper and to paste them in a notebook.
cut someone dead
Полностью игнорировать кого-либо.
Joan was just about to speak to James when he cut her dead.
Джоан была готова поговорить с Джеймсом, когда он её проигнорировал.
cut teeth
cut one's eye-teeth on
cut one's eye teeth on
cut eye teeth
To have teeth grow out through the gums.
The baby was cross because he was cutting teeth.
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 to the bone
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.
damned if one does, damned if one doesn't
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."