cut corners
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
To do something in the cheapest or easiest way, sacrificing quality or safety.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Làm việc một cách rẻ nhất hoặc dễ nhất, hy sinh chất lượng hoặc an toàn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Literally: To take a shortcut across a corner instead of going around it.
How to use it
✓ Use it when
Criticizing shoddy work or unsafe savings.
Register: neutralConnotation: criticalEra: 19th century – present
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Examples
The builder cut corners on the wiring, and it failed inspection.
Editorial example (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Figurative class: Euphemism (PIE-English corpus, CC BY 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31).
Common questions
What does “cut corners” mean?
To do something in the cheapest or easiest way, sacrificing quality or safety. Literally: To take a shortcut across a corner instead of going around it.
Is “cut corners” formal or informal?
cut corners is generally neutral; connotation: critical.