But dumb meat cleaver cuts such as the looming sequestration could push our economy back into recession.

CNN: Obama's chance to lead -- or kick the can down the road

You don't have to be like the New York City firefighters who recently tackled the guy attacking his wife with a meat cleaver in broad daylight.

CNN: To stem violence against women, men must step up

Leon Panetta has completed his final overseas trip as US defence secretary, being presented by his staff with a plastic meat cleaver as a parting gift.

BBC: Leon Panetta given plastic meat cleaver as parting gift

During his tenure, he has struggled against automatic spending cuts to the defence budget totalling billions of dollars, a process he frequently likened to a meat cleaver.

BBC: Leon Panetta given plastic meat cleaver as parting gift

Former EastEnders actress Gemma McCluskie was beaten over the head and killed before her body was hacked into six pieces with a meat cleaver, the Old Bailey has heard.

BBC: Gemma McCluskie

President Obama often claims he wants to cut the budget smartly, using a "scalpel" not a meat axe, machete, cleaver or chainsaw, to list a few of his favorite metaphors.

WSJ: Review & Outlook: About That 'Scalpel' . . .