cut (one) a little slack

To allow one more latitude or freedom than usual; to be lenient with or forgiving of one. Oh, you know I never normally make requests like this. Cut me a little slack. A: "I can't believe she talked to me like that!" B: "You need to cut her a little slack—she's grieving right now." Cut Tom a little slack. He studied hard for that test, but it's just not his best subject.

cut (one) some slack

To allow one more latitude or freedom than usual; to be more lenient with one. Oh, you know I never normally make requests like this. Cut me some slack. A: "I can't believe she talked to me like that!" B: "You need to cut her some slack—she's grieving right now." Cut Tom some slack. He studied hard for that test, but it's just not his best subject.

give (one) some slack

To be lenient with one; to give one a break. Give me some slack, Mom. I studied hard for that test, but it's just not my best subject. I think you need to give Jen some slack. She's never been late before. Oh, you know I never normally make requests like this. Give me some slack.

pick up the slack

To do an extra amount of work that someone else is unable or unwilling to do. I'm going to need you to pick up the slack around the house when the baby arrives, because I'm going to literally have my hands full. The fourth member of our team has been totally unreliable, so the rest of us have had to pick up the slack.

slack master

Someone who is especially lazy, indolent, or given to procrastination. I don't know how a slack master like him manages to get straight A's. That slack master Janet has been pulling our whole project down. I think she's done about 10 minutes of genuine work!

slack off

1. To release or ease the tension or pressure (on something). I'll need to slack off a bit so that I can adjust the rigging. Make sure you don't slack off on those harnesses before we've come to a complete stop.

2. To reduce or decrease over time. Most of the businesses on the island close up for the year once the summer business starts to slack off toward the end of August. The winds began slacking off as the hurricane shifted course out to sea.

3. To be or become lazy; to procrastinate or avoid work or one's duty. If you keep slacking off, we'll be forced to give you a formal warning. I should have been working on my essay, but I decided to slack off for the weekend with my friends.

See also: off, slack

slack off on (something)

1. To release or ease the tension or pressure on something, such as a rope or cable. Make sure you don't slack off on those harnesses before we've come to a complete stop.

2. To be or become lazy or unproductive in relation to some task or activity. If you keep slacking off on your financial reports, we'll be forced to give you a formal warning. Just because you're this big shot athlete doesn't mean you can slack off on your studies.

slack up (on someone or something)

1. To release or ease the tension or pressure (on something). I'll need to slack up a bit so that I can adjust the rigging. Make sure you don't slack up on those harnesses before we've come to a complete stop.

2. To stop doing something as intensely or frequently. I think you should slack up on the drinking, Bob. If we slack up now, we'll never meet our sales quota for the quarter.

3. To stop being so critical of or putting so much pressure on someone. Would you slack up already? I know I messed up the account, so I don't need you berating me for it any further. Slack up on Samantha, she's under a lot of pressure at home.

slack-jawed

1. With one's mouth hanging open, as due to surprise or dim-wittedness. I had to clear away the people who were standing slack-jawed on the side of the road, staring at the car wreck.

2. Moronic; very slow or dim-witted. I tried asking for directions at the gas station, but there was just some slack-jawed yokel working behind the counter.

take the slack up

1. To gather the loose section of rope or cable connected to something in order to make the line taut. Make sure you take the slack up, or the mainsail will start swinging out of control in this wind. One of the workers had failed to take the slack up, and the loose cable whipped around and severed his arm when the motor started up.

2. By extension, to do an extra amount of work that someone else is unable or unwilling to do. I'm going to need you to take the slack up around the house when the baby arrives. The fourth member of our team has been totally unreliable, so the rest of us have had to take the slack up for the entirety of this project.

See also: slack, take, up

take up the slack

To do an extra amount of work that someone else is unable or unwilling to do. I'm going to need you to take up the slack around the house when the baby arrives, because I'm going to literally have my hands full. The fourth member of our team has been totally unreliable, so the rest of us have had to take up the slack.

See also: slack, take, up

cut someone a break

and cut someone some slack

Sl., to give someone a break; to allow someone a reprieve from the consequences of an action. Come on, cut me a break! I'm a good guy! I was only a few minutes late! Cut me a break! Don't dock my pay! Cut me some slack and I'll be sure to pay you all I owe in a month.

slack off

1. to taper off; to reduce gradually. Business tends to slack off during the winter months. The storms begin to slack off in April.

2. [for someone] to become lazy or inefficient. Near the end of the school year, Sally began to slack off, and her grades showed it. John got fired for slacking off during the busy season.

See also: off, slack

slack up (on something)

and slack off (on something)

to release the pressure or tension on something. Slack up on the rope a bit, will you? Please slack off!

take the slack up

1. Lit. to tighten a rope that is holding something loosely. Take the slack up if you can. This clothesline is too loose. Do something to take up the slack.

2. Fig. to do what needs to be done; to do what has been left undone. Do I have to take the slack up? Jill did her job poorly and I have to take up the slack.

See also: slack, take, up

slack off

Decrease in activity or intensity, as in If business ever slacks off we can go on vacation, or When the project fell behind schedule again, she thought we were slacking off. [Second half of 1800s]

See also: off, slack

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

cut someone some slack

INFORMAL

If you cut someone some slack, you are less critical of their behaviour or performance than usual because you know they are in a difficult situation. When you're new at a job, colleagues and bosses cut you some slack. They forgive minor mistakes because you're new. Note: This expression is variable. Instead of some, people sometimes use words such as a little or a lot of. She's still upset about her dad. Cut her a little slack.

take up the slack

pick up the slack

INFORMAL

COMMON If someone or something takes up the slack or picks up the slack, they reduce the bad effect of something by providing something extra. With the export market in decline, it is hoped that the tourist trade will take up the slack. We have three members of staff absent and no one to pick up the slack. Note: If you take up the slack in a rope, you tighten it.

See also: slack, take, up

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

cut someone some slack

allow someone some leeway; make allowances for someone's behaviour. North American informal

1998 Times Most, though, are willing to cut Spielberg some slack for the sake of cinematic interpretation.

take (or pick) up the slack

1 pull on the loose end or part of a rope in order to make it taut. 2 use up a surplus or improve the use of resources to avoid an undesirable lull in business.

See also: slack, take, up

cut somebody some ˈslack

(informal, especially American English) make things easier than usual for somebody; allow somebody more freedom to do things than they would normally have: I know I made a mistake, but it’s my first week on the job, so cut me some slack, OK?

take up the ˈslack

improve the way money or people are used in an organization: The export market has failed to take up the slack in recent years, which has led to financial losses.

The slack is the part of a rope that is hanging loosely. If there is no slack, the rope is tight.

See also: slack, take, up

slack off

1. To decrease in activity or intensity: Tourism on Cape Cod usually slacks off around September.

2. To evade work; shirk: High school seniors tend to slack off once they get accepted to college.

See also: off, slack

cut someone a break

and cut someone some slack

tv. to give someone a break; to allow someone a reprieve from the consequences of an action. Come on! Cut me a break! I won’t do it again! Cut me some slack and I’ll be sure to pay you all I owe in a month.

cut someone some slack

verb

See cut someone a break

cut someone some slack, to

To give someone more time or more of a chance, to ease up on someone. This term, dating from the mid-1900s, alludes to a slackening of tautness in a rope or sail. Sandra Brown had it in Alibi (1999), “‘Don’t lean on him yet; let’s cut him some slack for now.’”