cut a dash
to make a stylish impression
TRANSLATION
cut a dash = auffallen, eine gute Figur machen --- GOOGLE INDEX 316,000
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
Why good dancers are attractive. Someone who can CUT A DASH on the dance-floor has always been seen as a good catch, but scientists have now explained why.
BBC News
BBC News
Did you
know?
to cut a dash
idiom
- to behave or dress showily or strikingly; make a stylish impression
(Collins Dictionary)
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The origin of this idiom is not clear, so let's look at its components. One theory suggests that "cut" here refers to cloth and to making stylish clothing. In the 1600s, one of the meanings of "cut" was to perform, or to make gestures.
When describing men's appearance, "dashing" means very elegant, attractive and impressive. The noun "dash" can refer to a flashy appearance or display (His dash and enthusiasm inspired us).
Examples of the expression tend to come from literature of the late 1800s:
"Nothing like cutting a dash." The House with the Green Shutters, by George Douglas Brown (1898-1902)
"Somehow I can't help feeling that, in spite of his clothes and the dash he cuts, he hasn't a penny to his name.
Miss Million's Maid, by Bertha Ruck (1878-1978), British writer of romance novels
An alternative is "cut (quite) a fine figure". Both expressions are used primarily in British English.
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SYNONYMS
elegant, fashionable, stylish, sophisticated, smart (UK), well dressed
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SMUGGLE OWAD INTO A CONVERSATION TODAY
say something like:
"The new advertising manager cuts quite a dash with his tailor-made, Savile Row suits."
idiom
- to behave or dress showily or strikingly; make a stylish impression
(Collins Dictionary)
---
The origin of this idiom is not clear, so let's look at its components. One theory suggests that "cut" here refers to cloth and to making stylish clothing. In the 1600s, one of the meanings of "cut" was to perform, or to make gestures.
When describing men's appearance, "dashing" means very elegant, attractive and impressive. The noun "dash" can refer to a flashy appearance or display (His dash and enthusiasm inspired us).
Examples of the expression tend to come from literature of the late 1800s:
"Nothing like cutting a dash." The House with the Green Shutters, by George Douglas Brown (1898-1902)
"Somehow I can't help feeling that, in spite of his clothes and the dash he cuts, he hasn't a penny to his name.
Miss Million's Maid, by Bertha Ruck (1878-1978), British writer of romance novels
An alternative is "cut (quite) a fine figure". Both expressions are used primarily in British English.
---
SYNONYMS
elegant, fashionable, stylish, sophisticated, smart (UK), well dressed
---
SMUGGLE OWAD INTO A CONVERSATION TODAY
say something like:
"The new advertising manager cuts quite a dash with his tailor-made, Savile Row suits."
