Korean slang profile
커터칼퇴
keoteo kaltoe
Leaving as early as office expectations allow
Leaving work as early as possible while gauging others' reactions, even when leaving exactly on time is not possible.
- Expanded form
- Not documented
- Other spellings
- 커터칼퇴근
- Earliest source found
- Jan 14, 2026
- Documented trend period
- Not verified
This is the earliest source we have verified, not the date the term was coined.
01Examples, with English translations
- Example by Julimmal
오늘은 눈치 보다가 커터칼퇴했어.
I gauged the office mood today and left as early as I could.
- Quoted from a source
커터칼퇴[1]
Leaving as early as office expectations allow.
English translation by Julimmal.
02Documented history
- 2026-01-14The supporting material introduced the meaning and use of this expression.[1]
03Origin & word formation
Asia Today explains it as distinct from leaving exactly on time. Who first coined the name has not been verified.
Evidence for the origin explanationMedium
The article explicitly supports the meaning, but the circumstances in which 칼 was first replaced by 커터칼 have not been verified.
04Sources
Original titles and links are preserved. An English translation does not replace the original source.
- [카드뉴스] 2026년 김풍스럽게’라도! …‘2026년 신조어 모음’ (아시아투데이)Published Jan 14, 2026Original source checked Nov 6, 2026