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Glite Dictionary
cut-and-dry

cut-and-dry

1 4.1
Clear and simple, not likely to change
  • adjective
  • /ˈkʌt ənd draɪ/
translation icon : claro y directo
  • The requirements are cut and dry, unlike most legislation.
  • cut-and-dry situation

So it kind of made it a cut and dry victory for me.

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Examples

  • Cases are not cut and dry.

    Blog text (6)

  • Still, this is not a cut-and-dry "what's more important?" decision, and it seems there's not one right answer, so I'll ask you:

    Blog text (32)

  • Well, from a police point of view, I imagine this is a pretty cut-and-dry case.

    First Reformed (2018)

  • Few practicing scientists actually follow such a cut-and-dry approach.

    Academic text (1995)

  • So the the Institutional Review Board slash ethics board issue is not as cut and dry as people want it to be.

  • Is it always cut-and-dry, such that a reviewer is ALWAYS protected from issues like libel?

    Blog text (11)

  • To Greg Koch, CEO and co-founder of Stone Brewing Company in Escondido, Calif., it's a cut-and-dry matter of how much American consumers value truth over deception.

    Blog text (20)

  • The instructions for the assignment are quite cut-and-dry, making them easy to follow.

  • In this debate, the rules are cut-and-dry and everyone is expected to adhere to them.

  • The case was straightforward and cut-and-dry, leaving no room for interpretation.

Synonyms

straightforward
vscut-and-dry
99 3.7

Something that is easy to understand and clear

adds the idea that the situation is also expected and unlikely to change
plain
vscut-and-dry
89 2.0

Said in a simple, direct way without hiding the truth

keeps plainness but adds the sense of being standard and unchanging
clear-cut
vscut-and-dry
27 4.2

Easy to see and understand

also implies customary stability rather than just simple clarity
short and sweet
vscut-and-dry
  • Informal
12 4.0

Quick and pleasant without extra detail, often about a talk or message

shares conciseness but focuses more on being usual and not changeable
cut-and-dried
vscut-and-dry
8 4.7

Simple and clear because it follows fixed rules

is the same clear idea but highlights usual expectation and lack of change
clear and to the point
vscut-and-dry
1 3.7

Easy to understand without extra details

includes that brevity but also stresses that the situation is settled and usual
clean-cut
vscut-and-dry
1 4.0

With sharp edges and clear lines

uses clarity too but applies to situations being customary and fixed rather than looks

Antonyms

unpredictable
163 4.4

Likely to change suddenly and hard to know in advance

ambiguous
68 6.3

Not clear because it can have more than one meaning

How Clear

definitive
79 5.6
cut-and-dry
1 4.1
clear
∞ 1.0
uncertain
149 2.8
ambiguous
68 6.3
vague
230 4.6

Surface Forms

cut-and-dry positive

Morphology

cut-and-dry = cut + dry (semi-transparent) = cut + dry

The literal components 'cut' and 'dry' are clear but the idiomatic sense 'settled/definite' is metaphorical and not fully predictable for learners.

Etymology

Cut-and-dry comes from the idea of things like herbs or wood being cut and dried so they are 'ready to use'. Once something is cut and dried it is fixed, so a cut-and-dry situation is clear and straightforward and not likely to change.