cut of one's jib

Meaning

Noun

• A person's general appearance, manner, or style.

Origin

• From maritime traditions, alluding to the identification of far-off ships by the shape of their sails, as in the Naval Chronicles (1805) “From the cut of her sails an enemy.” Used idiomatically of a person from early 19th century, attested 1824, possibly influenced by similarity of triangular jib sails to a person’s nose.