Welcome to Visual Vocabulary, the new animated series from EnglishAnyone.com that helps you
learn useful English expressions the same way native speakers do so you can master them
quickly, AND start using them confidently in your conversations today!
Today’s expression is “to cut corners.”
This is a very common idiom meaning to do something badly to save time, effort or money.
Imagine you’re walking along a sidewalk surrounding a square park.
If you’re told to walk around the entire park, you might be tempted to physically “cut
the corners,” by walking off the sidewalk and on to the grassy area near the corners
of the park to save a bit of time.
But if you were told to walk around the entire park to meet a certain distance requirement
– like with a race – you would be cheating by cutting corners.
When you cut corners, as opposed to being more productive or efficient, you really just
hurt yourself in the long run to save a bit of time, energy or money now.
to cut corners
“To cut corners” is a phrase you can use in both professional and casual situations:
A: The company is cutting corners by using cheaper materials in their products.
B: I heard.
I expect they’ll be receiving more customer service calls soon.
A: I cut corners by starting by business without a permit!
B: That’s a dumb idea!
What do you think will happen when the government finds out?
A: My husband is trying to teach our daughter ballet, although he knows nothing about it.
B: I know you’re trying to save money, but this is cutting some serious corners with
her education.
A: If you cut corners on your car repairs, your vehicle won’t last as long.
B: That’s why I’m sure to get the best service I can!
Well, that’s the end of this lesson.
But if you feel like you’re cutting corners on your English education with methods that
really aren’t helping you speak more fluently, take our free English fluency test by clicking
on the link in this video!
This quick, simple test will show you exactly what to focus on so you can finally become
a successful, confident English speaker 2, 3 or even 10 times faster!
Click on the link in this video to take your free test now, and get personalized advice
that will help you see immediate improvement in your spoken English.
Have a fantastic day, be sure to click that like button, and we’ll see you in the next
lesson!