open and shut case
Foregone legal conclusion
An open and shut case is a matter so straightforward that the conclusion is obvious—nothing to debate, no ambiguity to resolve.
The phrase comes from legal contexts, describing cases where guilt or liability is clear from the evidence: The fingerprints made it an open and shut case.
It extends to any situation with an obvious answer or outcome.
- no-brainerSelf-evident decision
- verdictOfficial court decision
- guilty verdictCourt's culpability determination
- witnessOne who attests
- slam dunkForceful basket from above
evidence · certainty · dead to rights · caught red-handed · foregone conclusion · testimony · judge · indisputable · cut-and-dried · irrefutable · clear-cut · crystal clear · black and white · plain sailing · belief · surety · clue · suspect
open and shut casemystery
Something unexplained or unknown
cold case · whodunit · enigma · conundrum · head-scratcher
open and shut casegray area
Ambiguous, ill-defined situation
tangled web · thorny issue · hard case · close call · toss-up
open, shut, case, opens, opened, opening, opener, openness, openly