cut one's lucky

Dated British slang meaning to make a quick escape — to bolt, run off, or get out of a situation fast. 'Cut one's lucky' implies a smart, timely exit rather than a panicked one; you're cutting and running before things go sideways. The phrase has the feel of Victorian underworld slang, the kind of colorful expression that turns up in Dickens-adjacent fiction. While it's rarely heard today, it's occasionally revived for comedic or stylistic effect in period-flavored writing.