it cuts both ways
to have both advantages and disadvantages
TRANSLATION
it cuts both ways = es hat seine Vor- und Nachteile --- GOOGLE INDEX it cuts both ways: approximately 84,000 hits
STATISTICS
IN THE PRESS
The Internet is a great way of getting useful information quickly and cheaply to a large audience. But IT CUTS BOTH WAYS: it's also a way of getting false, alarming and harmful information quickly and cheaply to a large audience.
(www.consumer.org.nz)
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"But I would also point out that I believe the moral arguments CUT BOTH WAYS and there are also strong ethical arguments in favour of these regulations, given their potential to relieve the suffering of many thousands of families in this country.
(Yvette Cooper - UK Minister of Health)
(www.consumer.org.nz)
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"But I would also point out that I believe the moral arguments CUT BOTH WAYS and there are also strong ethical arguments in favour of these regulations, given their potential to relieve the suffering of many thousands of families in this country.
(Yvette Cooper - UK Minister of Health)
Did you
know?
it cuts both ways
phrase
- when something has both advantages and disadvantages
(DH)
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WORD ORIGIN
The origin of this expression cannot be pinpointed. One theory is that it grew out of the phrase “double edged sword”, an expression used to describe a situation that results in two opposing outcomes or points of view. Thus each edge of the sword produces a different result. Or to put it another way, you can cut something both ways with it.
Business managers face decisions each day, that more often than not cut both ways. Do we reduce personnel to save costs at the risk of affecting product or service quality? Should we invest in a new product line or concentrate on upgrading the existing one? Most of these decisions are vastly complicated and not only cut both ways, but several different ways.
Politicians deal with such dilemmas as well. Are video cameras in large cities the answer to monitoring potential terrorist activity at the risk of infringing on the personal liberties of our citizens? Is the potential danger of nuclear power worth reducing our dependence on oil? There are no easy answers.
And of course our private sphere is full of decisions that cut both ways. Should we buy a house? Should we send the children to a private or public school? Should I learn French or English as a second language? Well, perhaps not all decisions cut both ways……….
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SYNONYMS
pros and cons, a blessing or a curse
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“Should we enter the South American market? The potential is huge, but the costs are enormous. It cuts both ways.”
phrase
- when something has both advantages and disadvantages
(DH)
---
WORD ORIGIN
The origin of this expression cannot be pinpointed. One theory is that it grew out of the phrase “double edged sword”, an expression used to describe a situation that results in two opposing outcomes or points of view. Thus each edge of the sword produces a different result. Or to put it another way, you can cut something both ways with it.
Business managers face decisions each day, that more often than not cut both ways. Do we reduce personnel to save costs at the risk of affecting product or service quality? Should we invest in a new product line or concentrate on upgrading the existing one? Most of these decisions are vastly complicated and not only cut both ways, but several different ways.
Politicians deal with such dilemmas as well. Are video cameras in large cities the answer to monitoring potential terrorist activity at the risk of infringing on the personal liberties of our citizens? Is the potential danger of nuclear power worth reducing our dependence on oil? There are no easy answers.
And of course our private sphere is full of decisions that cut both ways. Should we buy a house? Should we send the children to a private or public school? Should I learn French or English as a second language? Well, perhaps not all decisions cut both ways……….
---
SYNONYMS
pros and cons, a blessing or a curse
---
IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS TODAY
say something like:
“Should we enter the South American market? The potential is huge, but the costs are enormous. It cuts both ways.”
