to cut the painter
Preserved but no longer current.
To sever connexion; to send one to the right about in double quick time. In the late 19th century the phrase was much used in reference to a possible severance between her Colonial Empire and Great Britain.
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 painter” mean?
To sever connexion; to send one to the right about in double quick time. In the late 19th century the phrase was much used in reference to a possible severance between her Colonial Empire and Great Britain.
Is “to cut the painter” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.