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Reader question: Please explain this sentence; particularly “make the cut”: Ask for feedback from the employer on why you didn’t make the cut. My comments: You didn’t get the job you were looking for, and you’re advised to call the employer and ask why. You didn’t get the job because you didn’t “make the cut”. The cut? The cut is the point at which the distinction between selection and dismissal is made. A total of 35 people may have been interviewed for the job you were seeking, for instance, and they only hire five people. The fifth best score in the interview is therefore the “cut” line. In other words, if you have one of the top five scores, you’re in. You’re selected. You make the cut. In other words, you’ve made it. You’ve succeeded. If your score is not among the top five, on the other hand, you’re out. That means you’re dismissed. You are no good. You have failed. Or, opposite to making the cut, you’ve missed the cut. I’ve always encouraged Chinese English learners, readers of this column at any rate, to learn English through context and by picking up terms in actual usage. That is, through reading newspapers and online articles in English. That way, you pick up terms and phrases in actual use – while automatically gaining the extra benefit of knowing how to use them if you yourself ever want to use them. | 
