open-and-shut
[ oh-puh n-uh n-shuht ]
/ ˈoʊ pən ənˈʃʌt /
adjective
immediately obvious upon consideration; easily decided: an open-and-shut case of murder.
Origin of open-and-shut
An Americanism dating back to 1835–45
Words nearby open-and-shut
open up,
open verdict,
open with,
open wound,
open-air,
open-and-shut,
open-angle glaucoma,
open-carry,
open-cast,
open-concept,
open-cut
British Dictionary definitions for open and shut
open-and-shut
adjective
easily decided or solved; obvious
an open-and-shut case
Idioms and Phrases with open and shut
open and shut
Simple, straightforward, easily solved, as in With three eyewitnesses, the prosecutor said this case was open and shut. This term suggests that one has immediate access to the facts of a situation. [c. 1840]