GR translation: cut him loose

[Mike Jing]

At first I thought it was the second meaning. But seeing Närrisch say "I
owe him—that much.” it seems the first would make more sense.

Thoughts?


On Sun, Jun 29, 2025 at 2:17 AM Mike Jing <gravitys.rainbow.cn at gmail.com>
wrote:

> V503.20-29, P511.36-512.4
> “I warned him, but he laughed. ‘Another leap, Närrisch. I have to keep
> leaping, don’t I?’”
>
> “Well what do you want to do now, cut him loose?”
>
> There is some excitement amidships. The Russians have thrown back a tarp
> to reveal the chimps, who are covered with vomit, and have also broken into
> the vodka. Haftung blinks and shudders. Wolfgang is on his back, sucking at
> a gurgling bottle he is clutching with his feet. Some of the chimps are
> docile, others are looking for a fight.
>
> “Somehow . . .” Slothrop does wish the man would quit talking this way, “I
> owe him—that much.”
>
>
> What does "cut him loose" mean here?
>
> OED lists two possible meanings:
>
> P.2.a.i.i.
> To cut (someone or something) away from an anchor or restraint (literal
> and figurative); to free, release.
>
> P.2.a.i.ii.
> Originally U.S. figurative. To cast (someone or something) adrift; spec.
> to put an end to a relationship with (a person); to give (something) up.
>
>