Question

Don't cut corners on your presentation. You need to impress the party. (The underlined idiom means)

• A. do it quickly without quality
• B. do it perfectly
• C. do it recklessly
• D. do it slowly but with quality

Hint:

Remember: \[ \text{Cut corners} = \text{Take shortcuts that reduce quality} \] Example:
• The company cut corners to save money and the product quality suffered.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Concept: The idiom “cut corners” refers to taking shortcuts in order to save time, effort, or money, often at the expense of quality, safety, or thoroughness. This expression generally carries a negative meaning because important steps are skipped.

Step 1: Understanding the idiom. The phrase: \[ \text{cut corners} \] means:
• to take shortcuts,
• to avoid necessary effort,
• to complete a task cheaply or quickly,
• to compromise quality.

Step 2: Using the context of the sentence. The speaker says: \[ \text{You need to impress the party.} \] This indicates that high-quality work is expected. Therefore, the warning “Don't cut corners” means that the work should not be rushed or done carelessly.

Step 3: Evaluating the options.
• do it quickly without quality This perfectly matches the meaning of taking shortcuts and compromising standards. Hence, correct.
• do it perfectly This is the opposite of cutting corners. Hence, incorrect.
• do it recklessly Although recklessness may sometimes result from cutting corners, it is not the precise meaning of the idiom. Hence, incorrect.
• do it slowly but with quality This is the exact opposite of cutting corners. Hence, incorrect.

Step 4: Final conclusion. The idiom warns against sacrificing quality for speed or convenience. Therefore, \[ \boxed{\text{do it quickly without quality}} \] is the correct answer.