Jen: Have you finished planning your vacation?
Mike: Not quite yet. I’m still looking for ways to cut corners and save money on this vacation.
Jen: Come on. It’s a vacation. Don’t cut corners just to save money. If I were you, I would put quality first.

본문에서 제가 “Have you finished planning for your vacation? 여행계획 다 잡았니?”라고 묻자 Mike가 “Not quite yet. 아직 다 못 끝냈어. I’m still looking for ways to cut corners and save money on this vacation. 여행비용을 줄일 방법을 계속 찾고 있거든.”이라고 하네요.

그러자 제가 “Come on. It’s a vacation. Don’t cut corners just to save money. 에이, 여행가는 데 너무 절약하지 마. If I were you, I would put quality first. 내가 너라면 제대로 된 여행하는 데 더 신경 쓸 거야 ”라고 했습니다. Now keep today’s expression ‘cut corners’ in mind and let’s hear the conversation again. 그럼 다시 한번 대화를 들어볼까요?

Jen: Have you finished planning your vacation?
Mike: Not quite yet. I’m still looking for ways to cut corners and save money on this vacation.
Jen: Come on. It’s a vacation. Don’t cut corners just to save money. If I were you, I would put quality first.

Today’s expression is cut corners. If you do something in the easiest or cheapest way by skipping something important you are cutting corners. 단어 cut은 자르다, 줄이다라는 의미죠. Corners는 귀퉁이, 모서리, 모퉁이라는 뜻입니다. 그리고 cut corners는 모퉁이를 돌지 않고 지름길로 가다, 노력이나 시간 경비를 절약한다는 말입니다.

일할 때 돈을 줄이려다 보면 가장 쉽고 빠른 방법을 선택할 수밖에 없고요, 중요한 절차를 빼거나 관련된 규칙을 어기게도 되죠. 그러다 보면 당연히 수준은 떨어지고 일 처리는 엉성하게 될 겁니다. 주로 이런 상황에서 쓸 수 있는 게 cut corners입니다. 일을 대충 하다, 겉날리다 라는 뜻이 있는 거죠.

오늘 본문에서 Mike는 여전히 경비를 절약하기 위해 방법을 찾고 있다고 했습니다. Not quite yet. I’m still looking for ways to cut corners and save money on this vacation.”라고요.

Now let me give you some examples. He tried to cut too many corners. 라고 하면 “비용을 지나치게 절약하려고 했다.”라는 뜻이 됩니다. Here is another example. Many businesses are trying to cut corners in this slow economy. 라고 하면 ‘불경기 속에서는 많은 기업이 부적절한 방식으로 사업을 운영한다.’라는 뜻입니다.

Now you know what today’s expression means, let’s listen to the conversation for the last time.

Jen: Have you finished planning your vacation?
Mike: Not quite yet. I’m still looking for ways to cut corners and save money on this vacation.
Jen: Come on. It’s a vacation. Don’t cut corners just to save money. If I were you, I would put quality first.

Let’s review. If you try to do something as cheaply or as quickly as possible, often sacrificing quality, you are cutting corners. CUT CORNERS. Now try using this expression on your own.