Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cut and dried

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.01 in modern English

Syllables: cut and -dried
IPA

16

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.

adj

Decided, not open to change.

adj

Lacking freshness or spontaneity.

Obsolete

Example Sentences

"Take care when guessing, since problems do not always have cut-and-dried answers."
"But if I had not taken things for granted, if I had examined everything with the care which I should have shown had we approached the case de novo and had no cut-and-dried story to warp my mind, should I not then have found something more definite to go upon?"
"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."

Etymology

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

Usage

Obsolete

Inflected Forms

cut-and-dried (alternative) cut and dry (alternative)

Phrases

all over but the shouting done deal

Frequently Paired Words

all over but the shouting done deal

Synonyms

clear cut open-and-shut res ipsa loquitur set settled

Questions

What does cut and dried mean?: Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.
Where does cut and dried come from?: First use appears c. 1643. Derives from herbs being cut and dried for sale, rather than fresh.

How to pronounce cut and dried

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