CUT AND DRIED, CUT CORNERS, CUT OFF (ONE’S) NOSE TO SPITE (ONE’S) FACE: American English Idioms #51

CUT AND DRIED

Cut-and-dried means to be settled, certain, or definite. An example of this is if you have made a decision about something and feel sure it is the right choice. This phrase can also be used to refer to someone who does not have any hidden agendas or secrets that they are trying to hide.

The phrase “cut and dried” is an idiom that refers to something being settled, certain, or definite.

The term “cut and dried” is a common idiom in Western culture that means a matter is so clear-cut and easy to understand that it needs no further analysis. The phrase is a contradiction of the saying “cutting corners.

The phrase “cut and dried” is an idiom that typically means to be done with deliberation, casually, or without much thought. Cut and dried is often used when something has been determined by a group of people after careful consideration or debate. It can also be used to describe circumstances that are so obvious it doesn’t require any evaluation.

This idiom comes from the process of drying crops, which is usually done by cutting them into small pieces and then exposing them to direct sunlight. Similarly, when something is “cut and dried,” it has been finalized and no longer needs to be discussed.

CUT CORNERS

The idiom, “cut corners” to mean to take the easy way out of something, is used in the context of taking the easiest route possible instead of doing things correctly. This can lead to sub-par results; for example, if you cut corners with work at your job, you could end up being fired.

The phrase “cut corners” often means to go easier on oneself, for example by not doing something one would have done in the past. For example, someone might have agreed to work the graveyard shift for more pay but then cut corners by not actually having to work that shift.

One of the most common idioms for this phrase is to shorten a process by discarding certain tasks that are deemed unnecessary, or by taking a more cost-effective approach. The phrase can also be used when someone is being overly careful with spending, and opting for a more inexpensive way of achieving something rather than buying something new.

The phrase “cut corners” is typically used to describe people who cut across the lawn and avoid the sidewalk. It can also be used to refer to people who take shortcuts and skip important steps in completing a task. This phrase is most often used in an academic context where it typically references students who do not study or research their topics fully before they write about them.

CUT OFF (ONE’S) NOSE TO SPITE (ONE’S) FACE

A “cut-off-one’s-nose-to-spite-one’s face” idiom consists of an action that will have a negative outcome for oneself as a consequence. It may be the result of anger or a spiteful intention. The vernacular comes from an old tale in which a man cuts off his nose to spite his face. In this example, the speaker is referring to people who refuse to cooperate with others for the sake of proving their point.

The idiom cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face, which is a proverb coined in the 17th century and attributed to John Heywood, means to do something that harms oneself and others. The expression is used when someone takes revenge on another but the resulting effect backfires.

One speaks of “cutting off one’s nose to spite one’s face” when they engage in a decision that will harm them or their interests, usually in retaliation for an insult, and is often used figuratively. For example, if someone at work treats you badly and you get mad and tell your boss about it, your boss might fire the person who treated you badly; this would be cutting of your nose to spite your face because now you may not have a job either.

The phrase ‘cut off one’s nose to spite one’s face’ is an idiom that means to bring about a negative outcome by means of actions not necessary for such an outcome, or to sabotage oneself. It can also mean to reject or shun someone who would be useful. The phrase derives from the tale of Pigmalion and his statue Galatea, which he beheld as a woman and kissed until she stirred and came alive.