idioms - Etymology of "cut someone some slack"



Teenagers. All the literature tells you one thing and one thing only – that whatever they are doing, give them a break, cut them some slack, it's normal.


From the novel, Apple Tree Yard



I'm curious about the origins of to cut some slack. I know slacks are American English for trousers or pants, and a slacker is a lazy person. But what is a slack and how does one "cut" it?




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