with smth.: When these farm boys get to town, they really cut loose from convention. cut loose with something —(of curses, laughter, applause, etc.) speak or act without restraint (also: let loose with something ): He threw his head back and cut loose with a mirthful, deep laugh. cut one’s teeth • cut teeth cut one’s teeth—learn from smth.; gain experience. There’s a job for you to cut your teeth on. cut teeth —(of an infant) have teeth grow through the gums: Billy is cross because he’s cutting teeth . cut someone dead • cut someone’s throat cut someone dead—1. refuse to recognize a person; pretend not to know smb.: She proceeded on her way, her nose at a celebrated elevation — an icy nose. She cut him dead . 2. ignore a person when being talked to (because one is angry, etc.): He started talking to her and she cut him dead saying “I don’t want to hear your life history, pal!” cut someone’s throat—(hyperbolic) cause smb.’s ruin or down- fall: We’re shorthanded right now, and Genevieve would cut my throat if I tried to send you. cut someone down • cut someone down to size cut someone down—1. (usually Passive) kill a person: John F. Kennedy was cut down in the prime of life on a political trip to Texas. 2. (coll.) persuade smb. to reduce a price, charge, etc.: Eventually we managed to cut him down by $30. Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase cut someone short—(also: cut someone off short) interrupt a person: She wanted to do a lot of reminiscing, but I cut her short . cut someone down to size—make smb. realize that he is not so important as he thinks: If everyone should be equal, then it’s time to cut some people down to size . cut someone off • cut someone off at the pass cut someone off—1. (also: cut someone off short) interrupt a person: The doctor came in and started to explain the proce- dure, but I cut him off . 2. (usually Passive) isolate or separate a person (from smth.): We were cut off by the incoming sea and nearly drowned. 3. (usually Passive) kill a person: Mary was gone, cut off in the prime of life, in the glow of beauty. cut someone off at the pass—1. intercept a person: When I noticed he was leaving I figured I would cut him off at the pass and have him sign an autograph. 2. foil smb.’s plans or efforts: The good guys intend to blow up a fort. Will they succeed or be cut off at the pass ? cut someone off with a shilling • cut someone off without a shilling cut someone off with a shilling—disinherit a person: Anasta- sius made a poor match, married against his father’s wish, and was cut off with a shilling . cut someone off without a shilling— = cut someone off with a shilling: I know that one of my forebears was cut off without a shilling when he married a girl without his family’s consent. cut something away • cut something off • cut something out cut something away—detach smth. by cutting: If you cut away some of the dead wood, you will have a healthier tree. cut something off—1. remove smth. by cutting: The man cut off a succulent piece of meat and handed it to me. 2. discon- nect smth. such as gas, electricity, etc.: Our water supply has been cut off again this week. 3. isolate or separate smth.: Last night’s severe snowstorm cut off three villages. cut something out—1. extract or obtain smth. by cutting: He cut out this photograph from the newspaper. 2. refrain from smth.; give up smth.: He has decided to cut out smoking and drinking. 3. delete words, paragraphs, etc.: Before we can print this book, you will have to cut out all the four-letter words. 4. replace a competitor in business, etc.: The big new store is going to cut all the small shops out . cut the knot • tie the knot cut the knot—find the solution to a problem by a single de- cisive action: He had cut the knot , by-passing all preliminar- ies. tie the knot—(coll.) 1. get married: Diane and Bill tied the knot yesterday in front of family and friends. 2. perform a wedding ceremony: It only took a few minutes for the ship’s captain to tie the knot . Czech Republic, the • Czechoslovakia Czech Republic, the—the country that made up the greater part of Czechoslovakia dissolved in 1992, with Slovakia having become another independent republic: Political dialogue be- tween Slovenia and the Czech Republic is marked by intense political contacts. Czechoslovakia—the country dissolved in 1992 (now used only in historical contexts): Essentially, the Dubcek regime in Czechoslovakia has been trying to do there what Gomulka had to do in Poland in 1956. D daddy-long-legs • long-legs daddy-long-legs—a long-legged flying insect (Pholcus pha- langioides): On breezy days, the daddy long-legs get blown onto rivers in big enough numbers to cause quite a stir in the trout world. long-legs—a wading bird (Himantopus himantopus): Long- legs is a long-legged three-toed black-and-white wading bird of inland ponds and marshes or brackish lagoons. damn all • damn it all damn all —(coll., emphatic) not a thing; nothing at all: What is the State doing for the Theater? Damn all . damn it all—(exclam.) is used to express anger or impa- tience: Damn it all , am I to stand here all day cooling my heels on your pleasure! dare I say • I dare say dare I say—said when one knows that what he is going to state may raise objections: Dare I say that many of Desai’s films have been like that. Making use of the current fa- vorites — actors, plots, stories and turning them into a movie. I dare say—said when one assumes smth. to be likely or possible: I dare say that we are the best example of East-West fusion in Asia (though the Hong Kongers and Japanese will have something to say about that). dark age • Dark Ages, the dark age—a period in which there is a lack of culture and progress in a society: Shortly before 1700 B.C. a dark age settled over Egypt which was to last some one hundred and fifty years. Dark Ages, the—the period of European history between about A.D. 500 and about A.D. 1000: During these, which are rightly called the Dark Ages , the clergy were supreme. dark horse • white horse dark horse—a candidate, etc. of whom little is known but – 91 – dark horse