cut and dried

Adjective

cut and dried (not comparable)

1. (idiomatic) Simple, straightforward, clear, or certain.
   • Take care when guessing, since problems do not always have cut-and-dried answers.
   • But if I had not taken things for granted, if I had examined everything with the care which I should have shown had we approached the case de novo and had no cut-and-dried story to warp my mind, should I not then have found something more definite to go upon?1904 September, A[rthur] Conan Doyle, “The Adventure of the Abbey Grange”, in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, New York, N.Y.: McClure, Phillips & Co., published February 1905, →OCLC

   Synonyms:

   clear cut, open-and-shut, res ipsa loquitur

2. (idiomatic) Decided, not open to change.
   • Willy: […] In those days there was personality in it. There was respect, and comradeship, and gratitude in it. Today, it's all cut and dried, and there's no chance for bringing friendship to bear—or personality.1949, Arthur Miller, Death of a Salesman, act 2

   Synonyms:

   set, settled

3. (idiomatic, obsolete) Lacking freshness or spontaneity.