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
“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!
