cut to the quick

herir profundamente

Causar mucho dolor emocional a alguien con palabras o acciones.

En inglés sencillo: To hurt someone very deeply through your words or actions.

• Her words cut me to the quick.
• His rejection had cut her to the quick.
• She felt cut to the quick by that accusation.

Cómo se usa: cut someone to the quick (Her cold reply cut him to the quick.); be cut to the quick (He was cut to the quick by their laughter.)

Sinónimos: wound, hurt deeply

Expresiones frecuentes: cut to the quick, cut someone to the quick

ir al fondo del asunto

Hablar directamente del problema doloroso o difícil que está en el centro de un asunto.

En inglés sencillo: To discuss the painful or difficult issue at the heart of a subject directly.

• His question cut to the quick.
• The essay cuts to the quick of the debate.
• By mentioning trust, she cut to the quick of their problem.

Cómo se usa: cut to the quick of something (Her question cut to the quick of our disagreement.)

Sinónimos: get to the heart of, go to the root of

Expresiones frecuentes: cut to the quick, cut to the quick of something

cortar hasta la carne viva

Cortar tan profundamente que se alcanza la carne sensible bajo una uña u otra capa dura.

En inglés sencillo: To cut into the sensitive living flesh under a nail or other hard outer layer.

• I cut my nail to the quick.
• The dog yelped when its claw was cut to the quick.
• Take care not to cut those claws to the quick.

Cómo se usa: cut something to the quick (He accidentally cut the nail to the quick.)

Expresiones frecuentes: cut to the quick, claws cut to the quick