# Cutting etymology, re: flatulence

**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-etymology-re-flatulence/985995
**Category:** Factual Questions
**Created:** [June 23, 2023, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-etymology-re-flatulence/985995 "2023-06-23T14:24:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 4
**Page:** 2

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### Author: ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)
#### Post date: [June 23, 2023, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-etymology-re-flatulence/985995/21 "2023-06-23T22:08:06Z")

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Just to add to the dialectical data points, my North Carolina-born dad and his siblings _“cut off”_ lights, stoves, and televisions.

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### Author: ![Common\_Tater](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/common_tater/32/13846_2.png) [@Common\_Tater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Common_Tater)
#### Post date: [June 25, 2023, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-etymology-re-flatulence/985995/22 "2023-06-25T13:44:31Z")

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“Crop Dusting” is another variant, specifically referring to when someone is just walking by and gone by the time the … dust … settles.

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### Author: ![Spiderman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spiderman/32/230_2.png) [@Spiderman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spiderman)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2023, 11:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-etymology-re-flatulence/985995/23 "2023-06-26T11:26:43Z")

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> [@Toxylon](#):
>
> > [@tofor](#):
> >
> > You’re letting out gas, then cutting it off?
> 
> This. Your anus cuts the column of gas coming out of your bowels. You can even control the cutting at will.

Let’s not forget the slang ‘turd cutter’, as in she has a nice turd cutter. While it typically refers to the cheeks the actual turd cutter is the anus, & if it’s already cutting one thing coming out of it it’s not a far leap to have it cutting off air coming out of it.

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### Author: ![EdwardFound](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/4af34b/32.png) [@EdwardFound](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EdwardFound)
#### Post date: [June 26, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cutting-etymology-re-flatulence/985995/24 "2023-06-26T17:15:50Z")

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I think “cut and run” refers to sailors cutting the ship’s mooring lines (instead of unlashing them) to make a quick getaway from port.

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