open-and-shut

[oh-puhn-uhn-shuht]

adjective

1. immediately obvious upon consideration; easily decided.

   an open-and-shut case of murder.

open-and-shut

adjective

1. easily decided or solved; obvious

   an open-and-shut case

Word History and Origins

Origin of open and shut¹

An Americanism dating back to 1835–45

Idioms and Phrases

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]