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joychow1985 | 13:07 Mon 13th Mar 2006 | Phrases & Sayings
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A: I'm supposed 2 be at the train station 20 minutes before departure time.


B: That's cutting it kind of close; it'll take at least that long 2 ge there.


how can i understand the underlined sentence?What does the "cut" mean?


thanks in advance~~~ ^ ^


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This is a metaphor - using an exprression to describe something else, and it is not meant literally.


To 'cut close' refers to a butcher cutting meat close to the bone - which is the ideal way to cut because the customer gets more meat for their money.


This use of the expression simply means that A is not leaving a lot of time to get the train, and will be arriving almost at departure time.


English is complex enough without the common use of metaphors which must confuse non-English people a great deal.


Please come back if you need any more phrases translated for you.

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thank u sooooooo much 4 ur detailed explanation~~~andy-hughes~~~


can i understand it as "it's a little bit too precise" ?


and i feel so warm b'cos of ur last sentence~~~indeed i have lots of other questions~~~ ^ ^

Thank you for your kind words, you are most welcome.


No, it is not 'too precise', the meaning of the metaphor is that A is not leaving enough time to get to the station in time to catch the train.


"Cutting it kind of close" means that the time A arrives will be too close to the time the train is due to leave, and A will be in danger of missing the train.


Hope I've explained myself better there.

not leaving enough spare time in case of mishaps

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