cut your cloth

cut (one's) cloth

To act in accordance with one's limitations, often financial. Primarily heard in UK. You'll go bankrupt if you don't start cutting your cloth.
See also: cloth, cut
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

cut your cloth

mainly BRITISH
If you cut your cloth according to your situation, you limit what you do to take account of the resources you have. Ford would be forced to cut its cloth according to the demands of the market. The Government would have to cut its cloth and eliminate programmes which were not used. Note: You can also say that you cut your coat according to your cloth, with the same meaning. Organisations which are supported by the taxpayer must cut their coats according to their cloth.
See also: cloth, cut
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
See also:
  • cut (one's) cloth
  • cut (one's) coat according to (one's) cloth
  • cut coat according to cloth
  • cut your coat according to your cloth
  • cut (one's) coat to suit (one's) cloth
  • cloth ears
  • pull no punches
  • pull no punches, to
  • accordance
  • take the cloth
References in periodicals archive
"If money doesn't come in, you have got to cut your cloth accordingly.
TIME FOR PEACE; Blues chairman Thomas warns settlement has to be reached
READING Mayor Anderson's letter (Answer for Maeve, ECHO letters, April 4), the Mayor explains his spending, saying you have to cut your cloth accordingly, but the concern a lot of people have is that he is trying to cut a suit for Cyril Smith when he only has enough for Norman Wisdom.
Cutting wrong cloth; You Say Email:letters@liverpoolecho.co.uk
CUT YOUR CLOTH Whitby check tablecloth, PS19.60; Southsea placemats, set of four, PS15 and Southsea stripe crockery from PS8, Laura Ashley, tel: 0871 230 2301, www.lauraashley.com
Enjoy the last, long days of summer
McCarthy said: "With Dave, his record has been excellent but like everyone else, you have to cut your cloth accordingly.
McCarthy hails Moyes work on low budget
I call on all politicians cut your cloth to suit the times.
Time to cut your cloth; Your say
The advice of "Cut your cloth according to the width" and "Never a lender or a borrower be" are useful to follow.
Never a borrower be..
You cut your cloth accordingly, That's something you'd often say, I didn't understand what you meant, Until the day you passed away.
Daily Poem
"If you don't have someone there to pump the money in you have to cut your cloth accordingly, but it's very difficult these days to get everything right."
Gray day for Owls
1 CUT YOUR CLOTH ACCORDINGLY "This is absolutely vital," says Paul Blake.
FIVE GOLDEN RULES FOR KEEPING A CLUB AFLOAT IN A RECESSION
"You have to cut your cloth accordingly and get what you are given.
Tough times for Goulding; BURSCOUGH
"You've got to cut your cloth accordingly and if that means giving up your own little luxuries then that is what you do."
Two's enough
Thompson stormed: "You have to cut your cloth accordingly, but I think we've probably got the lowest wage bill in the division.
Football: Cambridge 0 Rochdale 0
McGhee said: "You have to cut your cloth according when there is not much money to spend, but I feel Mixu represents good value for money."
Wolves hound Mark for glory
You have to cut your cloth according to your means," he added.
SECURITY CASH FOR CEMETERY