cut and thrust
interesting and exciting (arguments)
TRANSLATION
cut and thrust = die lebhafte und spannende Atmosphäre einer Aktivität, bei der Menschen miteinander konkurrieren oder streiten —— cut and thrust of politics = Schlagabtausch (in) der Politik —— cut and thrust (fencing) = Fechten mit Hieb und Stich
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
“Competence is core to Sir Keir’s appeal. He lacks Sir Tony’s charisma; he does not excel at the CUT AND THRUST of parliamentary debate. But he does know how to run large public-sector organisations: before becoming an MP in 2015, he was in charge of the Crown Prosecution Service.”
Leader Article — The Economist (27th April 2023)
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“The style of debate in the House has traditionally been one of CUT-AND-THRUST; listening to other Members' speeches and intervening in them in spontaneous reaction to opponents' views.”
UK Parliament — Rules and Traditions
Did you
know?
cut and thrust
idiom
- interesting and exciting arguments
- the lively and exciting quality of an activity in which people compete or argue with each other
- (in fencing) using both the blade and the point of a sword
The Cambridge Dictionary / Merriam-Webster / Collins Dictionary
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PHRASE ORIGIN
"Cut and thrust" (early 16th century) has a fascinating etymology deeply rooted in the world of swordplay.
“Cut” refers to the action of slashing with a bladed weapon like a sword. Its Middle English origin is cutten, meaning "to sever with a sharp edge”.
“Thrust” refers to the action of pushing a pointed weapon forward, like the tip of a sword. Its Middle English origin is thresten, which meant "to press or push with force”.
Originally, "cut and thrust" literally described the basic movements in sword fighting, encompassing both slashing and thrusting attacks. Over time, it transcended its literal meaning and evolved into a metaphor for any situation involving vigorous competition or intellectual debate. This figurative usage emerged around the 18th century.
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COMPOUNDING LANGUAGE
In linguistics, “cut and thrust” is an example of a compound expression or "binomial". Compound expressions condense complex ideas into succinct phrases and aid recall due to their repetitive structure.
Common English examples:
- alive and kicking = gesund und munter
- divide and rule = teile und herrsche
- high and dry / to leave sb. high and dry = jdn. sitzenlassen, jdn. hängen lassen
- odds and ends = Reste; Kinkerlitzchen, Krimskrams
- peace and quiet = Ruhe und Frieden
- safe and sound = heil, wohlbehalten
- wear and tear = Abnutzung, Verschleiß
- wheeling and dealing = Machenschaften, Geschäftemacherei
- young and restless = jung und ruhelos
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THANKS to Florian for suggesting today’s phrase.
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