It would be futile to argue that “cutting-edge” is not a popular term. Like it or not, it’s used (when used properly) to describe just about anything new or innovative.
Cutting-edge, and its sibling term, leading-edge, both evolved into English idioms but are grounded in literal meaning. In 1825, a cutting-edge was the sharpest blade of a farming plow, or simply the sharp edge of a knife. The initial meaning of leading-edge was the forward edge of the blade of a ship’s propeller that cut through the water.