cut and dried
English
Alternative forms
- cut-and-dried (when modifying a noun),
- cut and dry (less common)
Etymology
1710, from herbs being cut and dried for sale, rather than fresh.
Adjective
cut and dried (not comparable)
- Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.
- Synonyms: clear cut, open-and-shut, res ipsa loquitur
- Take care when guessing, since problems do not always have cut-and-dried answers.
- Decided, not open to change.
- 1949, Arthur Miller, “Act Two”, in Death of a Salesman:
- Willy: […] In those days there was personality in it. There was respect, and comradeship, and gratitude in it. Today, it's all cut and dried, and there's no chance for bringing friendship to bear—or personality.
- (obsolete) Lacking freshness or spontaneity.
Usage notes
In formal usage, the form cut and dried is more common than cut and dry, and the meaning is rather “settled” than “clear”, and mildly pejorative, following original usage and etymology. Sense of “clear, straightforward” may be influenced by clear cut, which may be preferred.
See also
References
- cut and dry / cut and dried, Paul Brians, Common Errors in English Usage (2nd Edition, November, 2008)
- Re: cut and dried, ESC, January 06, 2001, The Phrase Finder
- Michael Quinion (2004) “Cut and dried”, in Ballyhoo, Buckaroo, and Spuds: Ingenious Tales of Words and Their Origins, Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Books in association with Penguin Books, →ISBN.