cut the cheese

English

Etymology

This idiom references the foul smell emitted by some cheeses, many of which have a rind that keeps the odor in. Once the rind is pierced, as in the case of slicing it, the smell is released.

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

  (file)

Verb

cut the cheese (third-person singular simple present cuts the cheese, present participle cutting the cheese, simple past and past participle cut the cheese)

1. (Canada, US, euphemistic, idiomatic, slang) To fart loudly.

   I cannot believe that you cut the cheese at the dinner table!

   • 1991, Hal Shymkus, Nightcrawlers, Bait, and Beer to Go, page 82:

     You know, did you cut some cheese? Did you fart?

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cut,‎ cheese.

Synonyms

• break wind
• fart
• flatulate
• pass gas
• trump
• See also Thesaurus:flatulate

Translations

to flatulate

• French: coupe fromage
• Jamaican Creole: buss a poop
• Spanish: cortar el queso

See also

• he who smelt it dealt it
• cheeser

References

• cut the cheese in the Dictionary.com Unabridged, v1.0.1, Lexico Publishing Group, 2006.