cut of one's jib
A person's general appearance, manner, or style.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“I like the cut of his jib.”
“You have a confident style; I like the cut of your jib.”
“We hired her because we liked the cut of her jib.”
“From the moment she walked in, the manager liked the cut of her jib and offered her the job.”
“The investors decided to fund the startup because they liked the cut of the founder's jib during the presentation.”
“Even though he was new to the team, everyone respected the cut of his jib and his professional attitude.”
“The coach watched the new player practice for five minutes and immediately liked the cut of their jib.”
“The old sea captain, sizing up the young sailor in silence, finally nodded, for he approved of the cut of the lad's jib.”
disputed origin
From cut (“a way of shaping or styling”) and jib (“a triangular staysail set forward of the foremast”), originally a nautical expression alluding to the identification of far-off sailing vessels by the shape of their sails. The idiomatic sense may have been influenced by the similarity of a triangular jib sail to a person’s nose.
- 01
abound in one's own sense
To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.
- 02
ace up one's sleeve
A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.
- 03
act one's age
To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.
- 04
act one's age, not one's shoe size
Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).
- 05
afraid of one's own shadow
Exceptionally timid.
- 06
air one's dirty laundry in public
To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.
- 07
air one's dirty linen in public
Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.
- 08
albatross around one's neck
A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Last updated August 10, 2026