to cut a dash
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
To make a show; to get oneself looked at and talked about for a showy or striking appearance. "Dashing" means striking — i.e. showy, as a "dashing fellow," a " dashing equipage.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “to cut a dash” mean?
To make a show; to get oneself looked at and talked about for a showy or striking appearance. "Dashing" means striking — i.e. showy, as a "dashing fellow," a " dashing equipage.
Is “to cut a dash” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.