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English idiom

cut and dried

Register · Neutral CEFR C1
Post

Figurative meaning

fully settled and clear, with little room for debate or alteration

Word picture

Pieces are pictured as already cut and dried, with no further preparation or uncertainty remaining.

Example

“The schedule is not cut and dried yet, so we can still move the workshop.”

Dictionary details

Component words

cut

Tags

Related idioms

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

cut and thrust

CEFR C1

the vigorous back-and-forth of intense argument or competition

Neutral

cut loose

CEFR B1

to abandon restraint and behave freely or wildly

Informal

cut both ways

CEFR B2

to produce both helpful and harmful effects or implications

Neutral

cut a dash

CEFR C1

to attract admiring attention with a stylish appearance or confident manner

Neutral

cut your teeth on

CEFR C1

to gain your first experience of something, usually early in your career

Informal

take it or leave it

CEFR B1

accept an offer exactly as presented or reject it entirely

Neutral

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

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