Cut and run
Encyclopedia
Cut and run is a pejorative
phrase used in the context of a war or battle meaning cowardly retreat. Thus, stripped of emotion
al connotation
, the phrase simply means withdraw or retire from the conflict at issue. The added pungency of the phrase comes from the partially obscured implication that this withdrawal is a course only undertaken by dishonorable fools whose fear and confusion has overcome their better judgment.
According to William Safire
the phrase, suggesting panic, "is always pejorative. Nobody, not even those who urge leaders to 'bring the troops home,' will say, 'I think we ought to cut and run."
Eugene McCarthy
used the phrase as follows: "As [the Vietnam war] continued to go badly, its advocates became more defensive. The motives of those who spoke out against the war were questioned, as was their patriotism, and in the case of the Democrats their loyalty to the party. Critics were called 'nervous Nellies' and 'special pleaders,' and, in the language of cattle handlers, as ready to 'cut and run.'" (Quoted by Bob Herbert
in the New York Times, December 15, 2005.)
Congresswoman Jean Schmidt
used the phrase in the U.S. house of Representatives on November 18, 2005: "A few minutes ago, I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp
, Ohio representative from the 88th District in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha
a message: that cowards cut and run, Marines never do."
Schmidt's remarks were immediately criticized and within ten minutes, she withdrew them and apologized. Karen Tabor, Bubp's spokeswoman, said Bubp "did not mention Congressman Murtha by name nor did he mean to disparage Congressman Murtha...He feels as though the words that Congresswoman Schmidt chose did not represent their conversation." Bubp told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he never mentioned Murtha by name when talking to Schmidt and would never call another US Marine a coward. Bubp later said, "I don't want to be interjected into this. I wish she never used my name."
The phrase originates in nautical usage. The OED
quotes Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship (1794) which defines the phrase to mean "to cut the cable and make sail instantly, without waiting to weigh anchor." Here cable refers to the anchor line, hence the anchor is lost. Run is used in the sense of "to sail downwind". In nautical usage however the term does not necessary carry the pejorative sense because cutting and running is sometimes imperative to save the ship in the case of an approaching storm for example.
John Howard
, the Prime Minister
of Australia
said "we are not going to cut and run from Iraq
Mr Speaker".
U.S. president
George W. Bush
used this phrase to describe those who support the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq
.
United States Secretary of State
Hillary Rodham Clinton
stated the United States would not "cut and run" from Afghanistan
.
Pejorative
Pejoratives , including name slurs, are words or grammatical forms that connote negativity and express contempt or distaste. A term can be regarded as pejorative in some social groups but not in others, e.g., hacker is a term used for computer criminals as well as quick and clever computer experts...
phrase used in the context of a war or battle meaning cowardly retreat. Thus, stripped of emotion
Emotion
Emotion is a complex psychophysiological experience of an individual's state of mind as interacting with biochemical and environmental influences. In humans, emotion fundamentally involves "physiological arousal, expressive behaviors, and conscious experience." Emotion is associated with mood,...
al connotation
Connotation
A connotation is a commonly understood subjective cultural or emotional association that some word or phrase carries, in addition to the word's or phrase's explicit or literal meaning, which is its denotation....
, the phrase simply means withdraw or retire from the conflict at issue. The added pungency of the phrase comes from the partially obscured implication that this withdrawal is a course only undertaken by dishonorable fools whose fear and confusion has overcome their better judgment.
According to William Safire
William Safire
William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speechwriter....
the phrase, suggesting panic, "is always pejorative. Nobody, not even those who urge leaders to 'bring the troops home,' will say, 'I think we ought to cut and run."
Eugene McCarthy
Eugene McCarthy
Eugene Joseph "Gene" McCarthy was an American politician, poet, and a long-time member of the United States Congress from Minnesota. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1949 to 1959 and the U.S. Senate from 1959 to 1971.In the 1968 presidential election, McCarthy was the first...
used the phrase as follows: "As [the Vietnam war] continued to go badly, its advocates became more defensive. The motives of those who spoke out against the war were questioned, as was their patriotism, and in the case of the Democrats their loyalty to the party. Critics were called 'nervous Nellies' and 'special pleaders,' and, in the language of cattle handlers, as ready to 'cut and run.'" (Quoted by Bob Herbert
Bob Herbert
Robert “Bob” Herbert is an American journalist op-ed columnist who wrote for The New York Times. His column was syndicated to other newspapers around the country. Herbert frequently writes on poverty, the Iraq war, racism and American political apathy towards race issues...
in the New York Times, December 15, 2005.)
Congresswoman Jean Schmidt
Jean Schmidt
Jeannette Marie Hoffman Schmidt, is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2005. She is a member of the Republican Party. The district stretches from eastern Cincinnati to Portsmouth....
used the phrase in the U.S. house of Representatives on November 18, 2005: "A few minutes ago, I received a call from Colonel Danny Bubp
Danny Bubp
Danny R. Bubp is a Republican member of the Ohio House of Representatives, representing the 88th District since 2005. He currently serves as chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.-Life and career:...
, Ohio representative from the 88th District in the House of Representatives. He asked me to send Congress a message: Stay the course. He also asked me to send Congressman Murtha
John Murtha
John Patrick "Jack" Murtha, Jr. was an American politician from the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Murtha, a Democrat, represented Pennsylvania's 12th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1974 until his death in 2010....
a message: that cowards cut and run, Marines never do."
Schmidt's remarks were immediately criticized and within ten minutes, she withdrew them and apologized. Karen Tabor, Bubp's spokeswoman, said Bubp "did not mention Congressman Murtha by name nor did he mean to disparage Congressman Murtha...He feels as though the words that Congresswoman Schmidt chose did not represent their conversation." Bubp told the Cincinnati Enquirer that he never mentioned Murtha by name when talking to Schmidt and would never call another US Marine a coward. Bubp later said, "I don't want to be interjected into this. I wish she never used my name."
The phrase originates in nautical usage. The OED
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
quotes Elements and Practice of Rigging and Seamanship (1794) which defines the phrase to mean "to cut the cable and make sail instantly, without waiting to weigh anchor." Here cable refers to the anchor line, hence the anchor is lost. Run is used in the sense of "to sail downwind". In nautical usage however the term does not necessary carry the pejorative sense because cutting and running is sometimes imperative to save the ship in the case of an approaching storm for example.
John Howard
John Howard
John Winston Howard AC, SSI, was the 25th Prime Minister of Australia, from 11 March 1996 to 3 December 2007. He was the second-longest serving Australian Prime Minister after Sir Robert Menzies....
, the Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
of Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
said "we are not going to cut and run from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
Mr Speaker".
U.S. president
President of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
used this phrase to describe those who support the withdrawal of US forces from Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
.
United States Secretary of State
United States Secretary of State
The United States Secretary of State is the head of the United States Department of State, concerned with foreign affairs. The Secretary is a member of the Cabinet and the highest-ranking cabinet secretary both in line of succession and order of precedence...
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...
stated the United States would not "cut and run" from Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
See also
- Stay the courseStay the course"Stay the course" is a phrase used in the context of a war or battle meaning to pursue a goal regardless of any obstacles or criticism. The modern usage of this term was popularized by United States presidents George W. Bush, George H. W...
- Roller hockeyRoller hockeyRoller Hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using skates with wheels. The term "Roller Hockey" is often used interchangeably to refer to two variant forms chiefly differentiated by the type of skate used. There is traditional "Roller Hockey," played with quad roller skates, and...
A phrase used in roller hockey when an exceptional player breaks away with the puck, and scores a goal.