What is the meaning of "cut up" in the following expression?
(I got so "cut up" in that play that I lost all tracks of time.)
I looked it up in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and found as a transitive verb it means:
1-to cut into parts or pieces b: to injure or damage by or as if by cutting: GASH, SLASH
2: to subject to hostile criticism: CENSURE
but from the above sentence, I think the definition of "cut up" must be some things like: be interested in or be engrossed in
are you agree with me on this?
The only thing I can think of is that you must have (mis)heard this sentence!
"I got so caught up in that play.........." makes sense because it's a way of saying you became so involved in it that you lost track of time.
You can be "cut up" if you are upset............
"I was really cut up when my girlfriend finished with me".
........but I don't think that's what your sentence is saying.
buggles (not a teacher)
thanks. It is the sound file. Could you check it out?
Region000.mp3
I agree, it's "Caught up", not "Cut up."
It's the American accent and the person speaking quickly, making "Caught" sound a lot like like "cut".
"I got so caught up (Engrossed, paying lots of attention to, Rivited, concentrating on, interested in) with that play that I lost all track of time too."
cut up :
a. to cut into pieces or sections.
b. to lacerate; wound.
c. to distress mentally; injure.
d. Informal . to play pranks; misbehave: They got scolded for cutting up in church.
see definition # 78
Cut | Define Cut at Dictionary.com
Last edited by duiter; 18-Dec-2010 at 01:12. Reason: edit
In this sentence, it means: to behave strangely, in a very active and silly way in order to make people laugh.
Devon
I totally agree with Buggles; it can also be a noun (e.g. "that guy is a clown, he's a total 'cut up'."
B.