Careful Words

cut (n.)

cut (v.)

cut (adv.)

cut (adj.)

Cut and come again.

George Crabbe (1754-1832): Tales. Tale vii. The Widow's Tale.

All the world's a stage,

And all the men and women merely players.

They have their exits and their entrances;

And one man in his time plays many parts,

His acts being seven ages. At first the infant,

Mewling and puking in the nurse's arms.

And then the whining school-boy, with his satchel

And shining morning face, creeping like snail

Unwillingly to school. And then the lover,

Sighing like furnace, with a woful ballad

Made to his mistress' eyebrow. Then a soldier,

Full of strange oaths and bearded like the pard;

Jealous in honour, sudden and quick in quarrel,

Seeking the bubble reputation

Even in the cannon's mouth. And then the justice,

In fair round belly with good capon lined,

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut,

Full of wise saws and modern instances;

And so he plays his part. The sixth age shifts

Into the lean and slipper'd pantaloon,

With spectacles on nose and pouch on side;

His youthful hose, well saved, a world too wide

For his shrunk shank; and his big manly voice,

Turning again toward childish treble, pipes

And whistles in his sound. Last scene of all,

That ends this strange eventful history,

Is second childishness and mere oblivion,

Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): As You Like It. Act ii. Sc. 7.

When he shall die,

Take him and cut him out in little stars,

And he will make the face of heaven so fine

That all the world will be in love with night,

And pay no worship to the garish sun.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Romeo and Juliet. Act iii. Sc. 2.

Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,

And burnèd is Apollo's laurel bough,

That sometime grew within this learnèd man.

Christopher Marlowe (1565-1593): Faustus.

She is a woman, therefore may be woo'd;

She is a woman, therefore may be won;

She is Lavinia, therefore must be loved.

What, man! more water glideth by the mill

Than wots the miller of; and easy it is

Of a cut loaf to steal a shive.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Titus Andronicus. Act ii. Sc. 1.

This was the most unkindest cut of all.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): Julius Caesar. Act iii. Sc. 2.

  Always take the short cut; and that is the rational one. Therefore say and do everything according to soundest reason.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (121-180 a d): Meditations. iv. 51.

You call me misbeliever, cut-throat dog,

And spit upon my Jewish gaberdine.

William Shakespeare (1564-1616): The Merchant of Venice. Act i. Sc. 3.