Is 'cut-offs' singular or plural?

It is almost always treated as a plural noun when referring to the clothing item ('My cut-offs are comfortable'). For the limit sense, it can be singular when part of a compound like 'cut-off point'.

What's the difference between 'cut-offs' and 'shorts'?

'Shorts' is the general term. 'Cut-offs' specifically refers to shorts made by cutting the legs off longer trousers, typically jeans, leaving a raw edge. Not all shorts are cut-offs.

Can I use 'cut-off' as a verb in this context?

The verb is the phrasal verb 'to cut off'. You 'cut off' jeans to make 'cut-offs'. The noun is derived from the verb's past participle.

Is the extended meaning related to the clothing meaning?

Yes, etymologically. Both derive from the idea of a line where something is severed or terminated—literally the legs of trousers, or figuratively a limit in data, time, or supply.

cut-offs

UK/ˈkʌtɒfs/US/ˈkʌtˌɔːfs/

Informal for clothing; neutral for extended meaning.

My Flashcards

Definition

Meaning

Trousers (especially jeans) whose legs have been cut off, often with the hem left unstitched or frayed, typically worn in warm weather.

A point or level at which something is discontinued, terminated, or judged sufficient; a limit or threshold. This can apply to financial budgets, academic grades, statistical data, or supply lines.

Linguistics

Semantic Notes

Primarily a noun (plural). The clothing sense is the most common. The extended 'threshold' sense is often used in compound nouns like 'cut-off point' or 'cut-off date'.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

As clothing, 'cut-offs' is common in both. In the US, 'cut-off shorts' is also frequent. The spelling of the compound varies: UK often uses 'cut-offs', US 'cut-offs' or 'cutoffs'.

Connotations

Clothing sense has strong connotations of casual, DIY fashion, possibly associated with youth, summer, or utility. No significant connotative difference between UK/US.

Frequency

The clothing sense is slightly more frequent in everyday American English.

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong

denim cut-offswear cut-offsa pair of cut-offscut-off pointcut-off date

medium

frayed cut-offsmake cut-offsstrict cut-offsage cut-offfinancial cut-offs

weak

old cut-offsblue cut-offsapply the cut-offsestablish cut-offs

Grammar

Valency Patterns

the cut-off for [noun phrase] is [value/date][verb] a cut-offset/establish/impose a cut-off

Vocabulary

Synonyms

Strong

cutoff shorts (clothing)dividing line (extended)

Neutral

shortsthresholdlimit

Weak

bermudas (clothing, longer)truncation (extended)

Vocabulary

Antonyms

full-length trousersunlimitedcontinuation

Usage

Context Usage

Business

Refers to deadlines for payments, application submissions, or budget limits ('the cut-off for Q3 expenses is Friday').

Academic

Used for minimum scores required to pass an exam or be accepted into a programme ('the cut-off for the scholarship was 85%').

Everyday

Almost exclusively refers to the DIY-style shorts.

Technical

In engineering or supply chains, a point where flow is stopped. In statistics, a value dividing a population.

Examples

By Part of Speech

verb

British English

He cut off the legs to make shorts.
The supplier was cut off without warning.

American English

She cut off her old jeans last summer.
The utility will cut off service for non-payment.

adjective

British English

The cut-off date is next Monday.
They reached the cut-off point in the survey.

American English

Please submit by the cutoff date.
His score was below the cutoff grade.

Examples

By CEFR Level

In summer, I wear my blue cut-offs.
The cut-off for the game is 5 o'clock.

She made cut-offs from an old pair of jeans.
The income cut-off for the benefit is £30,000 a year.

Frayed denim cut-offs are a staple of festival fashion.
The study used a statistical cut-off of p<0.05 for significance.

The designer's collection featured deconstructed cut-offs, challenging traditional summer wear.
Arbitrary cut-offs in the legislation could disadvantage those just above the threshold.

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

Imagine CUTting the legs OFF your old jeans. The result is CUT-OFFS. The word itself is a literal description.

Conceptual Metaphor

LIMIT/THRESHOLD IS A LINE WHERE SOMETHING IS CUT (from the extended meaning).

Watch out

Common Pitfalls

Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)

Avoid direct translation as 'отрезанные'. For clothing, use 'шорты (из старых джинсов)'. For the limit sense, use 'предел', 'граница', 'пороговое значение'.

Common Mistakes

Using it as a singular noun for clothing ('a cut-off' is rare). Confusing it with 'cutback' (a reduction).

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap

The application is midnight tonight, so make sure you submit your form.

Multiple Choice

In which context is 'cut-offs' LEAST likely to be used?

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

: It is almost always treated as a plural noun when referring to the clothing item ('My cut-offs are comfortable'). For the limit sense, it can be singular when part of a compound like 'cut-off point'.
: 'Shorts' is the general term. 'Cut-offs' specifically refers to shorts made by cutting the legs off longer trousers, typically jeans, leaving a raw edge. Not all shorts are cut-offs.
: The verb is the phrasal verb 'to cut off'. You 'cut off' jeans to make 'cut-offs'. The noun is derived from the verb's past participle.
: Yes, etymologically. Both derive from the idea of a line where something is severed or terminated—literally the legs of trousers, or figuratively a limit in data, time, or supply.