crew-cuts
crew-cuts
Pronunciation
IPA Phonetic Spelling: /ˈkruːˌkʌts/
Syllable Breakdown:
kru /kruː/:
/k/: voiceless velar stop
/r/: alveolar approximant
/uː/: close back rounded vowel
kʌts /kʌts/:
/k/: voiceless velar stop
/ʌ/: open-mid back unrounded vowel
/t/: voiceless alveolar stop
/s/: voiceless alveolar fricative
Word Form Variations
Singular Noun: crew-cut
Plural Noun: crew-cuts
Verb (transitive): to crew-cut (e.g., "He crew-cut his hair.")
Present Participle: crew-cutting
Past Tense & Past Participle: crew-cut
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A men's or boys' hairstyle in which the hair is cut very short and stands straight up, especially on the top of the head.
Synonyms: butch cut, buzz cut, military cut, fade
Antonyms: long hair, shag, mullet, pompadour
Verb
To cut someone's hair in the style of a crew-cut.
Synonyms: buzz, shear, crop
Antonyms: grow out, lengthen, style
Examples of Use
crew-cut (noun)
Book: "He had a severe crew-cut, the kind of haircut that suggested a man who didn't waste time on frivolous things like style or self-expression" (Lee Child, Killing Floor, 1997).
Newspaper: "The senator, known for his polished suits and crew-cut, delivered a passionate speech on the Senate floor" (The New York Times, October 2021).
Online Publication: "Celebrity hairstylists are predicting a comeback for the classic crew-cut, but with a modern, textured twist" (GQ Magazine, July 2024).
Entertainment: In the film Top Gun (1986), many of the naval aviators, including Maverick's rival, Iceman, sported a clean-cut crew-cut.
Public Discourse: "My dad used to give me a crew-cut every summer with the clippers. It was the easiest way to deal with the heat."
crew-cut (verb)
Book: "The barber skillfully crew-cut the young recruit's hair, preparing him for boot camp" (Jack Carr, The Terminal List, 2018).
Online Publication: "Should you let your barber crew-cut your hair, or is it better to do it yourself at home?" (Men's Health, January 2023).
Public Discourse: "I need to go to the barbershop and get my hair crew-cut. It's getting too long."
10 Famous Quotes Using Crew-cuts
“There were four of us boys who needed crew cuts so our dad stuffed us into the station wagon to go get crew cuts.” (Brian Doyle, Crew Cuts, 2015)
“All the heroes had crew cuts, platinum-blond wives and drove Corvettes.” (Rinker Buck, Flight of Passage: A Memoir, 1997)
“I’ve had every haircut you could possibly imagine: mullet, tail, crew cut...” (Marc Forgione, 2015)
"He was the kind of man who still got crew cuts and believed in handshakes." (Original)
"My father, a man of few words, said he didn't need a fancy haircut, just a simple crew cut." (Original)
"The photo from 1952 shows a young man with a serious face and a meticulously groomed crew cut." (Original)
"He went into the barber and asked for a crew cut; he wanted to look like his hero, an army sergeant." (Original)
"The crew cut was a symbol of the no-nonsense attitude that defined his generation." (Original)
"She loved his simple, practical crew cut; it was an honest and humble hairstyle." (Original)
"A boy with a new crew cut is a boy ready for adventure." (Original)
Etymology
The word "crew-cut" is an American term that first appeared in the 1930s and 1940s. Its origin comes from the rowing teams, or "crews," at Ivy League universities like Harvard, Yale, and Princeton.
Rowers would get their hair cut very short to prevent it from blowing into their faces and distracting them while they were racing. The hairstyle became strongly associated with these college rowing crews, and the name "crew-cut" was coined to describe it.
The style's clean, simple, and practical nature made it popular beyond college sports. It was widely adopted by military personnel, especially during World War II, and later became a common, low-maintenance hairstyle for men in the mid-20th century.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Crew-cuts
Phrases
A fresh crew-cut: Refers to a newly cut hairstyle, emphasizing its neatness and recent trim.
To get a crew-cut: The act of having one's hair cut in this style.
The classic crew-cut: Describes the traditional, iconic version of the hairstyle, often associated with a clean-cut, vintage look.
Sporting a crew-cut: Used to describe someone wearing the hairstyle.
Idioms with Synonyms
A buzz-cut attitude: Refers to a no-nonsense, straightforward, and disciplined demeanor, similar to the associations of a buzz-cut or crew-cut.
A butch cut approach: Describes a very direct, unembellished, and practical way of doing something, mirroring the simple nature of the hairstyle.
A military trim mentality: Denotes a mindset focused on order, efficiency, and a lack of frills, drawing on the military's association with these short hairstyles.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of crew-cuts from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
