Cut some slack

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Word of the Day: Cut (someone) some slack

When we do things by the book, we know they’re done right.

However, we all need someone to cut us some slack occasionally.

When you cut someone some slack, you give them a break.

Don’t judge them too severely, and try to understand that they’re having difficulty.

No one can follow the rules perfectly all the time.

When we do break the rules, we need a little forgiveness.

Yes, that’s right, if we break the rules, it would be nice if someone cut us some slack.

This doesn’t mean total forgiveness.

If we break the rules, then we break them, but it’s nice to have a little wiggle room.

For example, sometimes, a student comes to one of my classes unprepared.

Sure, they’ve had the materials for a week and should have had enough time to read them, but for some reason, they didn’t.

As a teacher, I could get a little angry, scold and lecture them about how important it is to prepare for class properly.

My students are diligent pre-crastinators who are rarely unprepared for a lesson.

For that reason, on the rare occasion when they are unprepared, I can cut them some slack.

Things happen, and no matter how hard we try, sometimes life gets in the way of our plans.

I can understand that.

I do expect the door to swing both ways, though.

I’m a stickler for timeliness and always try to get feedback out on time.

On the rare occasion when I’m late, I ask that students return the favour and cut me some slack.

Let’s call it a mutual understanding.

We all promise to do our best to get everything done on time.

When life gets in the way, we don’t get angry.

We cut the other person some slack.

I hope your boss is just as understanding, and the next time you’re late for a meeting, she cuts you some slack.

This post is understandable by someone with at least a 6th-grade education (age 11).

The easier a passage is to read, the higher the score on a scale of 0 – 100.