Episode 321: Cut and Dried

This week Shauna and Dan explore the phrase, "Cut and Dried". Bonus: Dan Sings Alt Rock, Tobacco use in the United Kingdom (1586 - 1660), and a Podcast Music Legend

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Bunny Trails: A Word History Podcast
Episode 321: Cut and Dried
Record Date: May 17, 2026
Air Date: May 27, 2026

Intro

Shauna:
Welcome to Bunny Trails, a whimsical adventure of idioms and other turns of phrase. 

I’m Shauna Harrison

Dan:
And I’m Dan Pugh

Each week we take an idiom or other turn of phrase and try to tell the story from its entry into the English language, to how it’s used today.

Opening Hook
We live in a world of nuance. Instead of black and white, so much of our existence is gray. Do I vote for a candidate who has done horrible things but belongs to the party I identify with? Do I support a book series I love, even though the author expresses hateful views? These are difficult questions. But sometimes, the answer is obvious. Do I buy a Cybertruck? No. It’s almost a relief when the choice is clear. And that’s why it feels so good when a topic is 'cut and dried'."

Meaning
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, cut and dried means:

Quote
Already decided, settled, or prepared; ready-made. Hence: (in later use) clear-cut, straightforward 
End Quote
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cut-and-dried_adj?tab=meaning_and_use#1425979230 

The practice of cutting and drying plants and herbs to make them last longer can be traced to ancient human civilizations.
https://oldentech.com/drying-fruits-and-herbs/
But the OED notes it was tobacco that really brought this phrase (ready, cut, and dried) into modern usage as it described tobacco leaves that had been shredded and dried and were now ready for sale. 
https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cut-and-dry_adj?tab=meaning_and_use#1445574250 

The OED notes this terminology was in use for tobacco by 1640 as found in some Scottish texts. https://www.oed.com/dictionary/cut-and-dry_adj?tab=meaning_and_use#1445574250
Tobacco is said to have been introduced to the United Kingdom by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1586, though it is likely sailors already had access to it. The history of tobacco in the UK is a fascinating one and we will explore it in more depth in our behind the scenes video, available every Friday on our Patreon. That’s patreon.com/bunnytrailspod

But for our purposes, we just need to know that 
Queen Elizabeth I was seen using tobacco in 1600, and from there it grew. In 1614 the first shipment of tobacco as a commercial crop arrived in England from the Jamestown colony in what is now the United States. And by the 1660s when Charles II was reinstated to the throne, tobacco as a habit was commonplace. And that is where we begin to see our phrase being used in a more figurative way.

1664
Here is an example of this, from the 1664 work, The Cause of the Innocent Pleaded… by Samuel Bradley. 

Quote
I saw their design plainly tending unto the same: When they did threaten to cut me off, I soberly answered, It was ready cut and dryed; that is, … it was ready done to their hands
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/bim_early-english-books-1641-1700_the-cause-of-the-innocen_bradley-samuel_1664/page/36/mode/2up?q=soberly

You already know that clear-cut or straightforward is how the phrase is used today, but as the OED notes the phrase originally meant settled, ready, or already decided. And that is how it was being used by Mr. Bradley. He knew he was going to be cut off because they had made up their minds, so he simply acknowledged this by saying it was ready cut and dried.

1680
Here’s another example, and for this I have to read quite a bit of the title because it acts as a synopsis. The Tragical History of Jetzer, or, A Faithful Narrative of the Feigned Visions, Counterfeit Revelations, and False Miracles of the Dominican Fathers of the Covent of Berne in Switzerland, to Propagate their Supersititions. The Second Edition. This is credited as being written by Johann Jetzer through records of a Sir William Waller and translated from the French by an “Impartial Pen”. This version was published in 1680, and our phrase is found in the preface:

Quote
Our Modern Catholicks, ‘tis tru, have a Catholick Answer ready cut and dried to all Indictments drawn up against them…
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_tragical_history_of_Jetzer_etc_Colle/r09pAAAAcAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=%22cut+and+dried%22&pg=PP5&printsec=frontcover 

1710
Here’s one that comes to us from a 1710 work, Mars Stript of his Armour. This appears to be by Edward Ward. 

Quote
Thus, he lives at Discretion, with his Royters ready cut and dried against all Emergencies; tho a Man would be apt to believe he has not much of that Quaintity, who spends his Life in drinking and whoring.
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/marsstriptofhisa00warduoft/mode/2up?q=%22cut+and+dried%22

You know, Ed, if you don’t want people to be like Mars, then maybe don’t make it sound so cool with all the drinking and whoring. 

If you, like me, were unsure of the word ‘royster’, according to Merriam Webster it means:

Quote
To engage in noisy revelry
End Quote
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/roister 

Revelry is noisy partying or merrymaking. 
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revelry 
Which, frankly,  also sounds fun. 

1780
Here’s an example from the 1780 work, Ancient Greek and Roman Philosophy, Rhetoric, and Oratory. The book includes many older works, but since our phrase is in a footnote it should be dated with this publication. The footnote is regarding certain types of oration.

Quote
These extempore orations were, it should seem, a kind of public exercise, not unlike our college declamations, supposed to be spoken extempore, immediately after the subject was given out, of which… the speakers had private notice, and consequently were prepared accordingly, some with new speeches made by themselves, and others, like Timarchus, with old ones ready cut and dried, which serves for the occasion. 
End Quote
https://archive.org/details/AncientGreekAndRomanPhilosophyRhetoricOratory1600-1800/TheWorksOfLucianFromTheGreek-Vol.2/mode/2up?q=%22cut+and+dried%22

1897
Here is another example of the phrase from a dictionary in 1897 called The Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia. It was edited by William Dwight Whitney and Benjamin Eli Smith. This is still using the older version of the phrase.

Quote
Cut and dried, prepared for use by cutting and seasoning, as hewn timber; hence, fixed or settled in advance; ready for use or operations at a moment’s notice: as, their plans were all cut and dried for the occasion. 
End Quote
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Century_Dictionary_and_Cyclopedia_Th/uvNOAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&bsq=%22cut%20and%20dried%22 

It’s unclear when the phrase began to shift from ‘all planned out’ to ‘clear-cut’ or ‘straight forward’, though to be fair in many cases the two definitions could be one in the same.

1924
But I did find this example from 1924 that was clearly being used as meaning ‘straightforward’. This is from an article called, “Not So Cut and Dried After All” in the Washington Daily News out of Washington DC, USA dated June 12, 1924. 

Quote
That’s the reason why from out over the plains resentment is rising. It’s the reason for the undercurrent and the reason the 
G. O. P. campaign from 1924 is not so cut and dried after all. 
End Quote
https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn82016181/1924-06-12/ed-3/?sp=4&q=%22cut+and+dried%22&r=-0.153,1.174,0.643,0.346,0 

1937
Here’s another example, this one about sports. It’s also from the Washington Daily News, March 16, 1937. It comes from an article called “Views Vary on Plan to Quit Center Jump”. Here is a quote from Fred Mesmer, a local basketball coach in Georgetown.

Quote
Basketball without the tap is too cut and dried, he said. That scramble for the ball when its (sic) tapped, even tho one center may be outjumping the other, is an interesting and important part of the game, in my mind.
End Quote

It feels very much like he is saying it is too straightforward, not too planned out. So I’d put this as another example of the newer version of the phrase. 

1951
One more, this is from the Evening Star, USA, dated March 11, 1951. It’s from a story called “Death Before Breakfast”. This is the final courtroom style scene where the killer is just about to come to justice through the hero’s big reveal. In this, the hero is addressing the killer, who pretended to be an eye witness to the accident at hand.

Quote
Suddenly, there he was - the guy you’d sworn to get, the guy who’d stolen your girl And he was blind. What a temptation! All you had to do was to wait in ambush some morning when he came alone with the dog. With the excavation hole, it was a cinch. Blind man, left a few minutes without Seeing-Eye dog, stumbles into pit. A cut and dried accident. And, in due course, what was to stop you showing up out of the blue and courting his widow?
End Quote
https://www.loc.gov/resource/sn83045462/1951-03-11/ed-1/?sp=131&q=%22cut+and+dried%22&r=0.161,0.519,0.95,0.512,0

In this one, cut and dried is being used as “clear-cut”, meaning it was quite obviously an accident. But of course, the hero pulls out his wild card and the bad guy gets busted and justice is served. And the hero even adopts the dog. 

Up next we have several modern uses to cover and we’ll get to those, right after we say thank you to our sponsors.

A Quick Thank You
Shauna:
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Modern Uses

1989
Cut and Dried is a 1989 song by Jesus Jones. They are a British alt rock band, probably best known for his hit Right Here Right Now. Here are some of the lyrics for Cut and Dried:

Quote 
The things that scare me most
Are the things that I know least about
Like love and death and being alone
And some things I don't talk about
Baby says to me to be as happy as can be
She needs a little help from her friends
And she says "oh yes, but I still love you"
And that's all very well, but
Where does it all end?

Cut and dried
I wanna be like a machine inside
Cut and dried
I wanna be like a machine inside
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQ4AK2zCqVE

2007
Cut and Dried is an episode of the Australian police procedural City Homicide. It ran for 5 seasons from 2007 to 2011. Cut and Dried is season 1, episode 12. Here is the synopsis from the episode available on Tubi:

Quote
The murder of a prison inmate exposes his hidden identity. Jennifer is cornered by a dangerous past acquaintance and Simon struggles to cope with the aftermath of the deadly gold heist.
End Quote
https://tubitv.com/tv-shows/185689/s01-e12-cut-and-dried

I found it interesting that no actor was in every episode, because the showrunners decided to work in the normal shifts into the episode. So if it was a character's day off, they weren’t in the episode. Which seemed an interesting way of doing it. 

2011
Cut and Dry is an electronica song by podcast music legend Kevin MacLeod. You’ll find his work on tons of podcasts, youtube shorts, tiktoks, and other work. He has over 2,000 pieces of royalty-free library music that is available for re-use under Creative Commons. The New York Times called him, “arguably the most prolific composer you’ve never heard of”. His work has been used in the Martin Scorsese film Hugo, is on one of the live feeds on the International Space Station Earth From Space , and he even has a documentary called Royalty Free: The Music of Kevin MacLeod. 
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_MacLeod

But back to Cut and Dry, on the youtube page with this song, it is described as:

Quote
Genre: Electronica 
Time: 3:42 122 BPM (Allegro - Pretty Fast) 
Instruments: Synths, Percussion
Tags: Aggressive, Driving, Grooving

Modern-style production of a dance/world music fusion. Laser sharp super compressed mix. cutndry
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lESO-RWniek

It’s definitely catchy. If you are on TikTok, you’ve almost certainly heard his piece Monkey’s Spinning Monkeys, which had over 31.6 billion plays in a six-month period in 2021. I’ve never even been on TikTok and I’ve heard it. You can find more about Kevin MacLeod’s music through his website, incompetech.com 

2016
Cut and Dried is a 2016 book by CA Shilton. Here’s the synopsis from the publisher:

Quote
A violent man is found standing over a body, his knife protruding from the back of the corpse. An ‘open and shut’ case and an ideal first investigation for newly appointed Detective Inspector Sue Bishop. But Sue soon discovers that things may not be as obvious as they seem. As she battles to unravel the truth behind the murder, she also finds herself fighting for acceptance as a woman in the man’s world of the 1980’s police service. She and her team eventually close in on the murderer, only to find themselves with a race against time if the key witness is not to become yet another victim.
End Quote
https://www.amazon.com/Cut-Dried-C-Shilton/dp/0992601312

2023
Cut and Dry by Charlotte Cornfield's is a song off the 2023 album, Could Have Done Anything. Here are some of the lyrics:

Quote
I think I’m scared of you but that’s all in my head
Your messy hair, your day-old clothes, your unmade bed
I see myself in you and that’s the source of my dread

Even if sometimes I think that you’re overblown 
I appreciate that you always pick up the phone
And you lift me up when I’m feeling alone

Honestly, I tried to cut ties
But now I know not everything is cut and dry
And I know that I still need you in my life
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5u_ZQfWQ6w 

2026
Cut and Dried by Moondoggy is a song off the 2026 album Around the Fire. It’s kind of a bluegrassy alt rock song. Here are some of the lyrics:

Quote
So you get stoned and you call it off
Your friends all call and you brush them off
It’s nothing
But it must be something
It feels like whatever you do
Your always waiting

Calm down, my friend
It’s not so cut and dried
That open doors still waiting 
on the other side
It’s gonna take some patience
For you to recognize
That everybody’s on your side
End Quote
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SbhmpYAZ6Gw 

Wrap Up
I like this phrase. There's something appealing about straightforwardness. Probably because it's so rare. As a child, I was frequently accused of being an overthinker. Yet I know plenty of true overthinkers, and I don't think that label fits. What I do is ask a lot of questions about basic things. I want to understand fundamentals so I can make better decisions later. Understanding the basics doesn't make something more cut and dried; it builds a wider foundation from which to work. That actually creates more options, not fewer. And more options are better in many aspects of life. I appreciate when things are clear and there is a straightforward path. But I appreciate even more that few things are truly cut and dried.


Dan:
That’s about all we have for today. If you have any thoughts on the show, or pop culture references we should have included, 
reach out to us on Patreon, patreon.com/bunnytrailspod or comment on our website bunnytrailspod.com

Shauna:
It’s poll time!

Recently we asked our Patrons, how do you feel about advertisements in podcasts?

Almost 60% of you said you don’t mind host-read ads, but you skip the pre-recorded commercials. The rest of you don’t mind them if they are short or infrequent. And a small few are okay with them - after all, creators gotta eat!

Mary said
Quote
Podcasts cost. I do prefer the ones that hosts read but those can get really really long. Either way, I respect the need for podcasters to engage quality advertisers to cover their costs in exchange for me getting great content.
End Quote

Dan:
Cheryl added
Quote
I've checked things out based on ads. Usually they're US so I try to find an equivalent locally if it's something I want.
End Quote

I don't have a problem with advertisements in shows, though I usually skip the ads. I don't mind host-read live ads (where the hosts are reading ad copy during the recording), but I usually skip them if the ads were pre-recorded. I don't think I have ever bought anything from a podcast advert, but I have read or listened to books that were recommended by podcasters, which may have been native advertising. But I am far more likely to buy or engage with something if it is a genuine recommendation than if it was an ad. I think I have a built in filter to take anything on an advert with more than a grain of salt.

Shauna:
This is one of those complicated things… ads are just a reality of producing most podcasts, especially at a higher quality or for an extended period of time. They cost money. 

I don’t mind them so much, particularly if they are minimal, make sense for the show, or are for the show or how to support it. And like others said, are host-read ads.

If you want to take part in our silly polls, head over to the Patreon. We’d love to hear your take on our weekly poll questions! And it’s free at patreon.com/bunnytrailspod 

Outro 

Shauna:
Thanks for joining us. We’ll talk to you again next week. Until then remember, 

Together:
Words belong to their users.