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Where does the phrase cut and dry come from?

The phrase cut and dried means completely decided, fixed beforehand. The theory that fits both the chronology and the circumstances of the usage is that the phrase originated in herbalists' language: cut and dried herbs were those that were ready for use, as contrasted with those that were still growing.

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In this manner, what does the phrase cut and dry mean?

How did the phrase "cut and dry" come to mean clearly decided or settled in advance? Sometimes referenced as "cut and dried". Also used when when referring to something that is ordinary. If something is "cut and dry", it is said to be completed without debate, question, or argument.

Also Know, where did the phrase bone dry come from? 'Bone dry' clearly derives from an allusion to the dryness of bone after being left in the sun. The equivalent phrase 'as dry as a bone' give testament to that, as virtually all of the 'as X as Y' similes point to a well-known property (that is, X) of some person or thing (that is, Y).

Similarly, you may ask, is it cut and dried or cut and dry?

The dominant modern usage is “cut and dried.” When used to modify a noun, it must be hyphenated: “cut-and-dried plan.”

What does the saying cut the mustard mean?

Cut the mustard. The first recorded use of the phrase is by O Henry in 1907, in a story called The Heart of the West: “I looked around and found a proposition that exactly cut the mustard”. The modern sense of the idiom is “to succeed; to have the ability to do something; to come up to expectations”.

Related Question Answers

Where does the expression cotton on come from?

What's the origin of the phrase 'Cotton on'? As early as 1648, in a pamphlet titled Mercurius Elencticus, mocking the English parliament, the royalist soldier and poet Sir George Wharton used 'cotton', or as it was spelled then 'cotten', as a verb meaning 'to make friendly advances'.

Where did the phrase cutting corners come from?

To Cut Corners: Origin and Meaning. to do something badly or cheaply. The phrasecutting cornerscomes from driving. It's when you come to a sharp turn in the road and instead of going all the way to the corner, you go straight across and cut off the corner to save time by shortening the distance you travel.

What does it mean when someone says you're dry?

You have a dry personality. This means you are overly serious, don't have a sense of humour, and tend to be almost robotic and emotionless in your approach to life. To many people, this is an insult.

Where did the phrase I have a bone to pick with you?

A similar phrase, "bone of contention," meaning an issue over which two people argue, also dates back to the 1500s and refers, appropriately, to two dogs fighting over an especially choice bone. 'I have a bone to pick with you' means 'I believe you have done me wrong and I want to know why. '

What does it mean to go on the wagon?

To be on the wagon is to refrain from drinking. It applies especially to someone who has been a serious drinker in the past. To be off the wagon is to be drinking, usually again after a period of sobriety.

What is a dry cut?

Dry cutting can be great for thick-haired women who want to remove bulk. Gabriel told us, "The dry cut is a technique that allows me to eliminate bulk where it's needed and add thickness and body where it needs to be added." All wet hair is sort of flat, but dry hair reveals which areas are extra thick.

What does the idiom cut corners mean?

Cut corners is defined as. to do something in the easiest, cheapest or quickest way, often by ignoring rules or leaving something out especially at the expense of high standards.

What does Straight out of the horse's mouth mean?

The phrase 'to hear something straight from the horse's mouth' means that you heard the information from someone who has personal knowledge on the spoken matter. Example in use: “I don't believe it that she did it. I'm going to go to ask her and hear it straight from the horse's mouth.”

What does the likes of Mean?

someone or something that is equal to or as important as the person or thing being mentioned: We haven't seen the likes of Muhammad Ali since he retired. They're competing with the likes of IBM and Unisys.

What is a dead dingo Donger?

dry as a dead dingo's donger (comparative drier than a dead dingo's donger, superlative) (Australia, simile, informal) Very dry, extremely dry. (Australia, simile, informal) Very thirsty.

Are bones really dry?

Bone Basics and Bone Anatomy It's easy to look at these and think of bones as dry, dead sticks in your body, but this couldn't be further from the truth. Bones are made of active, living cells that are busy growing, repairing themselves, and communicating with other parts of the body.

What does bone dry mean in coffee?

"Bone dry" means no steamed milk at all–just a foam pillow and espresso. A super wet cappuccino is a latte. Before diving into the bone dry matters, we need to make some things clear: there's coffee, and then there's espresso. Coffee is obtained by using hot water and ground coffee.

What does the expression hand over fist mean?

Hand over fist. Hand over fist means to do something very quickly, at a rapid pace. The term hand over fist almost exclusively is used when referring to the accumulation of money. The term comes from pulling in the rope of a ship. The original phrase was hand over hand, and referred to doing something at a steady pace.

What does Boneidle mean?

"Bone-lazy, bone-sore, bone-tired, adj. so lazy, sore, or tired, that the laziness, the soreness, or the fatigue, seem to have penetrated the very bones." (Note: Forby also provided the earliest known definition of 'bone dry' in the same work, although the two terms are unrelated).

What does bone dry mean in pottery?

Definition: Bone dry (adjective) is a term used to describe and identified greenware pottery that has dried as much as possible before it has gone through its first firing (the bisque firing). When held, bone dry greenware feels to be at room temperature, not cool to the touch.

Are bones wet or dry?

ARE BONES DRY? Dead bones are dry and brittle, but living bones feel wet and a little soft. They are also slightly flexible, so they can absorb pressure. Up to one-third of the weight of a living bone is water.

What does mustard mean in slang?

Mustard is … awesomesauce! In contemporary slang, if someone has the sauce, it means they are amazing in some way, from being stylish to being confident to being talented. And then there's awesomesauce, a playful expression for something “spectacular.”

Where did the phrase like a bad penny come from?

What's the origin of the phrase 'A bad penny always turns up'? This proverb has lived long in the language. It derives from the notion that some coins were 'bad', that is, they were debased or counterfeit.

Where did the saying doesn't cut the mustard come from?

THE MORRIS Dictionary of Word & Phrase Origins (Harper Collins - 1988), relates the phrase to an earlier expression - "the proper mustard", meaning "the genuine article". Around the turn of the century, "to cut the mustard" meant to be "of high quality", as when O.