To cut money

Posted by R. Berg on October 21, 2006

In Reply to: To cut money posted by ESC on October 20, 2006

: : Hello!
: : Please suggest a way to find a phrase matching a meaning. For example, in Russian there is an expression "to cut money" making a parallel to cutting fire-wood, that is, cutting off pieces of some common asset (primarily in a corrupt manner) as easy as to cut off pieces of fire-wood. How can I find an English equivalent?
: : Thanks you

: Everyone wants a piece of the pie. Meaning to share in graft or whatever.

In English, when two or more criminals divide their ill-gotten gains, each one's share is called his "cut." The word is also used for legitimate receipts, such as an agent's commission, but it's informal. ~rb