A dictionary of Confusable Phrases: More Than 10,000 Idioms and Collocations

cut loose from something • cut loose with
 something
cut loose from something —get away from smth.; break ties
cry all the way to the bank
– 90 –

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with smth.: When these farm boys get to town, they really cut
loose from convention.
cut loose with something —(of curses, laughter, applause, etc.)
speak or act without restraint (also: let loose with something ):
He threw his head back and cut loose with a mirthful, deep
laugh.
cut one’s teeth • cut teeth
cut one’s teeth —learn from smth.; gain experience. There’s
a job for you to cut your teeth on.
cut teeth —(of an infant) have teeth grow through the gums:
Billy is cross because he’s cutting teeth.
cut someone dead • cut someone’s throat
cut someone dead —
1
. refuse to recognize a person; pretend
not to know smb.: She proceeded on her way, her nose at a
celebrated elevation — an icy nose. She cut him dead. 2. ignore
a person when being talked to (because one is angry, etc.): He
started talking to her and she cut him dead saying “I don’t
want to hear your life history, pal!”
cut someone’s throat—(hyperbolic) cause smb.’s ruin or down-
fall: We’re shorthanded right now, and Genevieve would cut
my throat if I tried to send you.
cut someone down • cut someone down to size
cut someone down —
1
. (usually Passive) kill a person: John F.
Kennedy was cut down in the prime of life on a political trip
to Texas. 2. (coll.) persuade smb. to reduce a price, charge,
etc.: Eventually we managed to cut him down by $30.
Note: 
The expression does not correlate in meaning with the
phrase cut someone short—(also: cut someone off short) interrupt
a person: She wanted to do a lot of reminiscing, but I cut her
short.
cut someone down to size —make smb. realize that he is not
so important as he thinks: If everyone should be equal, then
it’s time to cut some people down to size.