- Meaning
- This idiom means to abandon a failing endeavor or situation to minimize further damage, as if stopping financial or emotional losses. It conveys pragmatic withdrawal, often used in business, personal, or strategic contexts to advocate for retreat over persistence. The phrase carries a tone of realism, resignation, or wisdom, reflecting cultural values of risk management and the human tendency to cling to sinking ventures. Its financial imagery evokes a ledger of losses, resonating in scenarios like investments or relationships. The idiom emphasizes damage control, making it a sober metaphor for strategic retreat.
- Origin
- The phrase originated in 19th-century Britain, tied to financial and gambling slang, where ‘cutting losses’ meant stopping bets to avoid ruin. Its earliest recorded use appears in *The Economist* (1870s), discussing stock market strategies. The idiom gained traction in the early 20th century, particularly during economic crises, with *The Wall Street Journal* (1929) using it for investors. Its spread was amplified by business literature and self-help media, notably in *Forbes* columns. Its adoption across English-speaking cultures, especially in the U.S. and U.K., stems from its clear imagery and applicability to pragmatic decisions.
- Variants
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- Cut your losses
- Cutting your losses
- Cut losses
- Examples
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- It’s time to cut your losses and sell that failing business.
- Cutting your losses, she ended the toxic relationship.
- Cut losses now, or you’ll lose even more on this stock.
- He cut his losses and abandoned the doomed project.
- They decided to cut their losses after the campaign flopped.
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