While reading Craig's column from USA Today, phrase "a man of cloth" made me stuck in the middle of the road. Would you give me an effective solutions as you always do?
"My friend Dennis in New York never met a bartender he didn't want to spend an evening sitting across from. He's a man of the cloth, so his phone would relay a different message: 'The end is near. Order another round. And quickly.'"
ANSWER: Man of the cloth means the same thing as man of God (1670) which is a clergyman, minister, priest, rabbi, etc. The phrase "man of the cloth" refers to the distinctive or usual identifying dress of the profession, thus, it refers to the dress of the clergy. For example: the collar worn by a priest, the robe worn by a monk, a nun's habit, etc. "Ambiguous Bill'
