I asked my Japanese prof and she didn't know, so I was wondering if any of you knew why 切手/きって (postage stamp) is made up of those two kanji. I mean, I've never had my hand cut by a stamp.

:: hopes for a really interesting story behind it ::

It is the abbreviation of 切符手形

nfi but i noticed lots of random little things use 切 in their jukugo.

Yeah I have a feeling "cut" isn't really the best keyword for 切. It works for the verb but not much else.

切 has three main meanings: cut, cling/stick/be close to, or approach

Cut is almost certainly the best keyword; it's just one of the many words with too many facets for a good keyword to exist.

~J