What do people from english speaking countries (I guess mostly from US) mean when they say this?
It's such a frequent phrase, but I don't think I ever thought about it as a distinct concept, nor spoke about it as such to any of my friends, and we've all been driving for many years.
Broadly it could be called “a breach of driving etiquette.”
If you are traveling straight in your lane at a steady speed, and somebody enters your right-of-way and forces you to brake or steer away from your intended path, that person is said to have cut you off.
You are driving in your lane when suddenly, another driver decides to change lanes right in front of you without signaling or signaling at the last moment. As a result, you are forced to brake or lose your space cushion.
I wonder why it's not a big deal where I live - whether it just doesn't happen to the same extend or such behaviour is more accepted.
I know I wouldn't think twice about it if someone switched lanes and forced me to lightly brake. Having to slam on the brakes would be more noteworthy, but that rarely happens.
I live and drive in the U.S. and the perception of what counts as being “cut off” is regional and correlated with density.
A maneuver that’s perfectly acceptable in NYC can earn you an angry honk in the suburbs. For better or worse, in large swaths of the US people are accustomed to having loads of space on the road and ample time to react to changes in traffic patterns.
New Yorkers would call other people lazy/inefficient drivers. Other people call New Yorkers crazy/aggressive drivers. YMMV.
What do people from english speaking countries (I guess mostly from US) mean when they say this?
It's such a frequent phrase, but I don't think I ever thought about it as a distinct concept, nor spoke about it as such to any of my friends, and we've all been driving for many years.