Cut-Through
In Appalachian and Southern speech, a "cut-through" is a small road or path used as a shortcut. It’s the country way of saying "shortcut," especially for back roads, alleys, or trails known only to locals.
Hillbilly Dude Says...
You'll hear 'cut-through' often instead of 'shortcut.' We use 'shortcut', too, but that's mainly for actual roadways. Hillbilly Dude Says...
You'll hear 'cut-through' often instead of 'shortcut.' We use 'shortcut', too, but that's mainly for actual roadways. Pronunciation
[KUT-throo]
Meaning & Usage
- Shortcut road or path (noun)
Mae:
You wanna take the highway?
You wanna take the highway?
Earl:
Nah, use the cut-through by the mill - it’s quicker.
Nah, use the cut-through by the mill - it’s quicker.- Unofficial passage used by locals (noun/dialect)
Mae:
How’d you get here so fast?
How’d you get here so fast?
Earl:
Took the cut-through behind the school.
Took the cut-through behind the school.variations: shortcut
★ "Cut-through" reflects a time before GPS when local knowledge of back roads and footpaths saved time. Outsiders might miss it entirely, but locals know every cut-through in their county. ★
Origin and Etymology
From the verb "cut through" meaning "to go across or bypass." In rural Southern/Appalachian speech it became a noun - "the cut-through" - for a known shortcut road or path. Documented in regional usage throughout the 20th century.
Usage Notes
Still common in rural Southern/Appalachian talk. Recognized elsewhere but rarely used as a stand-alone noun outside the region. Often a mark of local knowledge or insider directions.
Say It Like a Southerner
Said plain: "cut-through." Often paired with a landmark: "the cut-through by the church."