to cut the knot
Preserved but no longer current.
To break through an obstacle. The reference is to the Gordian knot (#.v.) shown to Alexander, with the assurance that whoever loosed it would be made ruler of all Asia; whereupon the Macedonian cut it in two with his sword, and claimed to have fulfilled the prophecy.
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 the knot” mean?
To break through an obstacle. The reference is to the Gordian knot (#.v.) shown to Alexander, with the assurance that whoever loosed it would be made ruler of all Asia; whereupon the Macedonian cut it in two with his sword, and claimed to have fulfilled the prophecy.
Is “to cut the knot” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.