cut corners
Economize through sloppiness
To cut corners is to take shortcuts, especially by skipping steps or reducing quality to save time or money.
The image is of rounding a corner rather than following the full path.
Usually carries negative connotations—suggesting sloppiness or risk: The contractor cut corners on materials and the roof leaked within a year.
We can't afford to cut corners on safety.
Giving up something precious
- qualityStandard or attribute
- standardsAccepted levels of quality
- shortcutsQuicker methods or paths
- shoddyOf poor craftsmanship
half-measures · skimp · neglect · slapdash · slipshod · inferior · substandard · underperform
Quicker alternative path
- expediteSpeed up a process
- streamlineRemove unnecessary elements
- fast-trackAccelerate a process
- time-saverEfficiency-boosting method
hack · workaround · bypass · simplify · accelerate · economize · budget · lean
sacrifice
Giving up something precious
shoddy · half-measures · skimp · neglect · slapdash · slipshod · inferior · substandard · underperform · second-rate
shortcut
Quicker alternative path
- expediteSpeed up a process
- streamlineRemove unnecessary elements
- fast-trackAccelerate a process
time-saver · hack · workaround · bypass · simplify · accelerate · economize · budget · lean · trim
- frugalityfrugality, thrift, frugal, penny-pinching, economize
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- negligence expressionsdrop the ball, asleep at the wheel, let slide, slack off, caught napping
- slacking offloaf, idle, laze, shirk, skimp
- money idiomsarm and a leg, break the bank, penny pincher, cheapskate, tightwad
- shoddinessslipshod, slapdash, hack job, botch job, botch
cut cornersgo the extra mile
Surpass what's asked
dot the i's and cross the t's · leave no stone unturned · spare no effort · follow through · take pains
cut cornersspare no expense
Spend without limit
go all out · pull out all the stops · go overboard · splurge · leave nothing to chance
cut, cutting, corner, cuts, uncut, cutter, cornered, cornerstone, corners