deep cut

American  

[deep kuht] / ˈdip ˈkʌt /

noun

1. a song that is less widely played and less well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist.

   The band performed a fan-favorite deep cut as part of their encore, and the crowd went wild!

2. anything, but especially media such as a television show, movie, video game, or book, that is not well-known to the general public, but has a fan base or cult following.

   This list of the top 25 horror films of all time has some deep cuts I’d never seen before.

3. a reference to a television show, movie, video game, book, etc., that would be appreciated or understood only by fellow fans, similar to an homage or inside joke.

   My husband’s joke about how he plays sax and I play clarinet, so our kids should learn to play piano and drums and then we can start our own Mos Eisley cantina band is a pretty deep cut.

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Etymology

Origin of deep cut

First recorded in 2005–10

Example Sentences

Few things are a better calling card for queer counterculture than a Daft Punk deep cut.

From Salon • Mar. 1, 2026

That song opened Friday night's encore, which dwelt largely on their 90s material, including Let Down - a deep cut that's had a new lease of life on TikTok - and the epic Paranoid Android.

From BBC • Nov. 21, 2025

It plays like a deep cut, reaching back through time to ground a TikToker’s content in a more enduring human experience.

From New York Times • Jun. 1, 2024

It was made with vanilla and double chocolate cookie dough ice cream, chocolate sauce and Squashies — Swift’s favorite candy from the United Kingdom and a deep cut that I had to respect.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 10, 2024

Mom sewed up the deep cut with a needle and thread.

From "I Survived the Great Alaska Earthquake, 1964" by Lauren Tarshis