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shilling

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cut off with a shilling

To be intentionally disinherited from a will by being bequeathed a single shilling rather than left nothing at all. Primarily heard in UK. My father never liked that I gave up medicine to become a writer, so he cut me off with a shilling when he died.

See also: cut, off, shilling

cut off

 

1. to stop by itself or oneself. The machine got hot and cut off. Bob cut off in midsentence.

2. to turn off a road, path, highway, etc. This is the place where you are supposed to cut off. When you come to a cutoff on the left, continue on for about mile.

See also: cut, off

cut someone or something off (from something)

to block or isolate someone or something from some place or something. They cut the cattle off from the wheat field. The enemy tanks cut off the troops from their camp.

See also: cut, off

cut someone or something off (short)

Fig. to interrupt someone or something; to prevent someone from continuing to speak. (See also chop someone off.) In the middle of her sentence, the teacher cut her off short. Bob cut off Mary when she was trying to explain.

See also: cut, off

cut something off

 

1. to shorten something. Cut this board off a bit, would you? Cut off this board a little, please.

2. to turn something off, such as power, electricity, water, the engine, etc. Would you please cut that engine off? Cut off the engine, Chuck.

See also: cut, off

cut off

1. Separate from others, isolate, as in The construction debris cut off the workers from the canteen, or The new sect was cut off from the church. [Late 1500s]

2. Stop suddenly, discontinue, as in He quickly cut off the engine, or The drama was cut off by a news flash about tornado warnings. [Late 1500s]

3. Shut off, bar, Their phone was cut off when they didn't pay the bill, or Tom's father threatened to cut off his allowance. [c. 1600]

4. Interrupt the course or passage of, intercept, as in The operator cut us off, or The shortstop cut off the throw to the plate. [Late 1500s]

5. Also, cut off with a shilling or cent . Disinherit, as in Grandfather cut him off with a shilling. This usage dates from the early 1700s; the purpose of bequeathing one shilling (a small sum) was to indicate that the heir had not been overlooked but was intentionally being disinherited. In America cent was substituted from about 1800 on.

See also: cut, off

cut off

v.

1. To remove something by cutting: I cut off the tree branch. He cut his beard off.

2. To interrupt someone who is speaking: Don't cut me off like that. The speaker was cut off by the crowd. The principal cut off the discussion when the assembly started.

3. To separate someone from others; isolate someone: I don't want to cut my brother off from his friends. She was cut off from her family while she was gone. All contact was cut off.

4. To stop something from functioning by disconnecting it from its source of power: Cut the power off. The landlord cut off the heat. The lights got cut off.

5. To interrupt the course or passage of something: The infielder cut off the throw to the plate. The police cut all the routes of escape off.

6. To interrupt or break the line of communication of someone: The telephone operator cut us off. The storm cut off the phone lines.

7. To stop or come to an end suddenly: The music suddenly cut off.

8. To change from one direction to another: The road goes straight over the hill and then cuts off to the right around the pond.

9. To disinherit someone: They cut their heirs off without a cent. My parents changed their will and cut me off after I left home.

10. To discontinue the funding for something, such as a government program: School breakfasts were cut off after the funding cuts. The mayor cut off free school lunches from the budget.

11. To drive into the space in front of a moving car, often suddenly and recklessly: That taxi cut me off on the highway. The truck cut off the small car abruptly.

See also: cut, off