TO CUT CORNERS

Example 1

 

Sarah: Hey Bella, do you want to go to Starbucks after school?

 

Bella: I'd really like to  but I want to save money for a new dress for the school dance so I need to cut

corners. Lets get something to drink at my house instead.

 

Sarah: Okay. Sounds good.

 

Example 2

 

Susan: ( To co-worker ) Christine is a great friend but she's difficult to work with, because she always tries to cut corners to get things done quickly. Sometimes I have to go back and redo her work to make sure its acceptable to the boss.

 

Maria: That's terrible! You should tell her not to do that again.

 

Meaning: "To cut corners" can be used in a couple of different situations. In the first example, a person can cut corners in order to save money or to economize. In the second example,

"cutting corners" involves completing a task quickly while eliminating a few of the steps in the process. Cutting corners can be a positive or negative action depending on the situation.

cut corners: this idiom can be found in LSI 's Level 4 Reading Horizons book