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

Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us” “While ‘The Pitt’ was airing, I started playing the Beatles’ ‘Revolver’ deep cut ‘Doctor Robert‘ on a loop, subbing in ‘Doctor Robbie’ each time the chorus came around.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2025

The 26-year-old DR Congo international sustained a deep cut to his thumb while he was washing the dishes last week.

From BBC • Oct. 8, 2024

Some of Albert’s colleagues from the art trade assessed the art for the Nazis — a personal deep cut for him.

From New York Times • Jun. 17, 2024

The doctor sighed and began stitching a deep cut on Archer’s shoulder.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee