cut and dried

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cut and dried

Where it comes from

First use appears c. 1643. Derives from herbs being cut and dried for sale, rather than fresh.

adjective cut-and-dried · cut and dry

idiomatic, not comparable Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain. Take care when guessing, since problems do not always have cut-and-dried answers.
Similar: clear cut, open-and-shut, res ipsa loquitur
idiomatic, not comparable Decided, not open to change. 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.
Similar: set, settled
idiomatic, not comparable, obsolete Lacking freshness or spontaneity.

Translations

Every language

adj defined clearly

Deutsch	klar, eindeutig
Ελληνικά	ευσαφής efsafís

adj decided, not open to change

Deutsch	entschieden, abgemacht, festgelegt

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MLA

"cut and dried." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/cut%20and%20dried. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

cut and dried. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/cut%20and%20dried

Chicago

"cut and dried." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/cut%20and%20dried.

BibTeX

@misc{cut_and_dried_2026,
  title = {cut and dried},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/cut%20and%20dried},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}