cut the fool

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

1. (intransitive, Southern US) To fool around; to put on a show; to behave foolishly.
   • 1940, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, When the Whippoorwill, page 28:

     She said to him, "You taught them bird-dogs to rock in a rocking-chair just to torment me. Ever' beast or varmint you've brought home, you've learned to cut the fool as bad as you do."

   • 1945, Lois Lenski, Strawberry Girl, page 85:

     Joe Slater danced fancy steps, and made the people laugh. "He shore can cut the fool!" they said.

   • 1996, C. Eric Lincoln, The Avenue, Clayton City, page 51:

     For all his smartness, the average white man is still stupid. All you have to do is call him "boss" and cut the fool for him, and he'll give you the gravy off his grits.

• "cut the fool" in Green's Dictionary of Slang.