under the names of Butter-flowers, Butter-cups and Gold- cups. cry all the way to the bank • laugh all the way to the bank cry all the way to the bank—(ironic) make a lot of money, especially undeservedly: When the reviews are bad I tell my staff that they can join me as I cry all the way to the bank . laugh all the way to the bank — = cry all the way to the bank: Naturally, they bought property around them; and laughed all the way to the bank . Note: The expression does not correlate in meaning with the phrase be laughing—(UK coll.) be in a fortunate position; be able to successfully control a situation: If the gas bill is as low as the electricity bill, we’re laughing . cry for something • cry out for something cry for something—1. weep in order to get food, attention, etc.: While the rescuers were still clearing the debris, the child was crying for water. 2. need smth. very much: It’s a reversal from problems felt earlier this summer when the region was crying for rain amid a drought. cry out for something — = cry for something 2: Over decades, Jackie has been one of the women crying out for support in stopping the violence. curse at someone • curse someone curse at someone—swear at a person; cast angry words at smb.: I don’t curse at other drivers in my infinite need to get anywhere as quickly as possible. curse someone—1. damn a person for doing smth.: She would scream his name over and over, alternately pleading for help and cursing him for not providing it. 2. invoke evil upon a person: The baker and his wife have been cursed by the witch who lives next door—they are never able to have children! curtain raiser • raise the curtain curtain raiser —1. a short play performed before a main play: On the first night performance of “The Alcade,” she played in a curtain- raiser “Bertram.” 2. said of any preliminary event or activity: This match was a curtain-raiser to the Wills Open Tournament. raise the curtain—(also: lift the curtain) make smth. known; expose smth.: Freedom of information helps raise the curtain on government. You have a right to know what government organizations are doing. cut above someone, a • head and shoulders above someone cut above someone, a—(coll.) rather superior to smb.: Kitts’ residents consider themselves a cut above the rest of the Caribbean. Cf.: a cut below someone—rather inferior to a person: Kind and affectionate he ever was, but he couldn’t but own … that I was a cut below him. head and shoulders above someone—considerably much su- perior to a person: I’ll have my own physician. He’s head and shoulders above you in skill. Note: Neither expression is equivalent in meaning to the phrase above someone—1. superior to smb. in rank or position: He will certainly have an executive above him to whom he reports. 2. too difficult for a person to understand or deal with successfully: Most of the language was above me, and so I could only get a general impression of his argument. cut and run • hit and run cut and run —leave without warning; make a quick or sud- den escape: To cut and run , to walk out, as Elspeth had, was quite unthinkable to Isabel: it was not in the pattern of civi- lized behavior. hit and run—(attrib.) 1. (of a driver) failing to stop after causing an accident: He will suffer no after-effects from in- juries sustained when knocked down by a hit-and-run mo- torist. 2. (of methods in guerilla warfare, etc.) using swift action followed by an immediate withdrawal: Some of them were in- dulging in violence and arson, adopting “hit and run ” tactics. cut back on something • cut back to something cut back on something—lower the rate of smth.; reduce smth.: The company cut back on production during the war. Note: The expression does not fully correlate in meaning with the phrase cut back something—1. make smth. shorter by cut- ting: He decided to cut the plants back , in order to improve their growth later in the season. 2. = cut back on something: The industry has been faced with having to cut back produc- tion because of rising costs. cut back to something—(in films) return in time to smth.: Laurie is staring into oblivion as the film cuts back to the ear- lier scene. cut back one’s losses • cut one’s losses cut back one’s losses—diminish costs, expenditures, etc.: The company said the new strategy was designed to help it cut back its losses . cut one’s losses—1. = cut back one’s losses: Many semiconductor firms which had overproduced … sought to cut their losses by quickly selling off their stockpiles of semiconductors. 2. with- draw from a losing or unsatisfactory situation: Bonaparte saw that he was beaten and, like the great man he was, cut his losses . cut both ways • have it both ways cut both ways —have a mixed effect; have both favorable and unfavorable results: In the Griese family, father and son are both cool, which cuts both ways . have it both ways —1. have both of two incompatible things or situations: We all want to have it both ways : take frequent days off, but still have plenty of money. 2. (sl.) have both ho- mosexual and heterosexual tastes (also: walk both sides of the street): People who have it both ways are seldom lonely. cut from the same cloth • cut out of whole cloth cut from the same cloth —said of two or more people who are very similar: Don’t assume that all women are cut from the same cloth . Jill won’t necessarily react the same way I did. cut out of whole cloth —(also: made out of whole cloth) wholly fabricated or false: We would never again wage a war for the wrong reasons, or even worse, for reasons cut out of whole cloth . cut it • cut it out cut it—(coll.) be effective or successful: Getting an average of four hours of sleep doesn’t cut it for me any longer. cut it out—(coll.) stop doing smth.: This is unacceptable behavior, so please cut it out . cut it short • take a short cut cut it short—(coll.) 1. leave a very narrow time margin; nearly miss smth. by being late: You’ve cut it short , the train’s just leaving. 2. bring to an end what one is doing or saying: Felix began a long, irrelevant speech and he resisted calls to cut it short . take a short cut—1. follow a shorter path: I got there as fast as I could (I even took a short cut ), but everyone had left. 2. use a quicker method to achieve smth.: Frankly, I took a short cut to a scholarly reputation I haven’t yet deserved. cut loose from something • cut loose with something cut loose from something—get away from smth.; break ties cry all the way to the bank – 90 –