Cutting across
Meaning
To extend over or through different categories, groups, or areas, often unifying or affecting them all.
Origin
The imagery behind 'cutting across' is as fundamental as the act of taking a shortcut. Picture a winding path or a vast field; to 'cut across' meant literally to forge a direct, straight line through it, disregarding established routes or boundaries to save time or effort. This tangible act of traversing different segments or obstacles eventually broadened its meaning, becoming a vivid metaphor for anything that doesn't follow a narrow, prescribed lane but rather influences or extends over multiple distinct areas. It speaks to a pervasive reach, an idea or system that touches and connects disparate elements, much like that efficient, straight path through varied terrain.
Examples
- The new policy aims to improve efficiency, cutting across all departments within the organization.
- Her groundbreaking research on quantum physics is cutting across disciplines like chemistry, engineering, and mathematics.