cut heads v. to compare musical skill in an informal competition; to hold a jam session. Editorial Note: This is directly related to to cut ‘to hold an (informal) musical competition,’ which dates to at least the 1930’s and possibly to the 1920’s. The competition is sometimes called a cutting contest. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...
Ian in Jacksonville, Florida, wonders about why musicians use the word clam to mean “a mistake” or “an egregious musical error,” as in There are a lot of clams in there or We need to practice where the clams are regarding a...
Thanks for all of the great stories. I have a question. What is the origin of the term “cutting heads”. I always thought that it had to do with the killing floors where animals were slaughtered. Can you help find me the answer?
Thanks,
Tim