cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon

[angliholic]

A butterfly struggled to force its body through a little hole in a cocoon. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could go. A man saw this and he decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and cut off the remaining bit the cocoon.



Hi,

How should I interpret the part in bold? Is it the same as "cut open the cocoon?" Thanks.

 

[Horsa]

Not quite the same. In your text it means completely severed whereas 'cut open' doesn't have the idea os severed

 

[angliholic]

Not quite the same. In your text it means completely severed whereas 'cut open' doesn't have the idea os severed

Thanks, Horsa.
But I still don't grasp the meaning of "cut off the remaining bit of the cocoon." Could you paraphrase it? I wonder why it is not "cut off the remaining cocoon."

 

[Horsa]

'bit' here means 'piece' and in the context provided tells us that most of the cocoon had already become detached leaving just the 'bit'referred to which the man then removed.

 

[angliholic]

Thanks, Horsa.