cut of one's jib

1. One's general appearance or personality, as in I don't like the cut of Ben's jib. In the 17th century the shape of the jib sail often identified a vessel's nationality, and hence whether it was hostile or friendly. The term was being used figuratively by the early 1800s, often to express like or dislike for someone.

Example Sentences

The good news is that if indeed you are capable of la maîtrise de soi, the cut of one’s jib simply does not matter.

From The New Yorker

Jib′-boom, a boom or extension of the bowsprit, on which the jib is spread; Jib′-door, a door flush with the outside wall, intended to be concealed.—The cut of one's jib, appearance.

From Project Gutenberg