diff --git a/src/uu/cut/src/cut.rs b/src/uu/cut/src/cut.rs
index 0b465dcdd..8dfdf25f8 100644
--- a/src/uu/cut/src/cut.rs
+++ b/src/uu/cut/src/cut.rs
@@ -466,12 +466,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
                             delim = "=";
                         }
                         if delim.chars().count() > 1 {
-                            Err(msg_opt_invalid_should_be!(
-                                "empty or 1 character long",
-                                "a value 2 characters or longer",
-                                "--delimiter",
-                                "-d"
-                            ))
+                            Err("invalid input: The '--delimiter' ('-d') option expects empty or 1 character long, but was provided a value 2 characters or longer".into())
                         } else {
                             let delim = if delim.is_empty() {
                                 "\0".to_owned()
@@ -503,13 +498,9 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
             })
         }
         (ref b, ref c, ref f) if b.is_some() || c.is_some() || f.is_some() => Err(
-            msg_expects_no_more_than_one_of!("--fields (-f)", "--chars (-c)", "--bytes (-b)"),
+            "invalid usage: expects no more than one of --fields (-f), --chars (-c) or --bytes (-b)".into()
         ),
-        _ => Err(msg_expects_one_of!(
-            "--fields (-f)",
-            "--chars (-c)",
-            "--bytes (-b)"
-        )),
+        _ => Err("invalid usage: expects one of --fields (-f), --chars (-c) or --bytes (-b)".into()),
     };
 
     let mode_parse = match mode_parse {
@@ -518,20 +509,12 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
             Mode::Bytes(_, _) | Mode::Characters(_, _)
                 if matches.is_present(options::DELIMITER) =>
             {
-                Err(msg_opt_only_usable_if!(
-                    "printing a sequence of fields",
-                    "--delimiter",
-                    "-d"
-                ))
+                Err("invalid input: The '--delimiter' ('-d') option only usable if printing a sequence of fields".into())
             }
             Mode::Bytes(_, _) | Mode::Characters(_, _)
                 if matches.is_present(options::ONLY_DELIMITED) =>
             {
-                Err(msg_opt_only_usable_if!(
-                    "printing a sequence of fields",
-                    "--only-delimited",
-                    "-s"
-                ))
+                Err("invalid input: The '--only-delimited' ('-s') option only usable if printing a sequence of fields".into())
             }
             _ => Ok(mode),
         },
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/macros.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/macros.rs
index 5c1e24d03..a3d5b299e 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/macros.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/macros.rs
@@ -274,104 +274,3 @@ macro_rules! crash_if_err(
         }
     )
 );
-
-//-- message templates
-
-//-- message templates : (join utility sub-macros)
-
-// used only by "cut"
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! snippet_list_join_oxford_comma {
-    ($conjunction:expr, $valOne:expr, $valTwo:expr) => (
-        format!("{}, {} {}", $valOne, $conjunction, $valTwo)
-    );
-    ($conjunction:expr, $valOne:expr, $valTwo:expr $(, $remaining_values:expr)*) => (
-        format!("{}, {}", $valOne, $crate::snippet_list_join_oxford_comma!($conjunction, $valTwo $(, $remaining_values)*))
-    );
-}
-
-// used only by "cut"
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! snippet_list_join {
-    ($conjunction:expr, $valOne:expr, $valTwo:expr) => (
-        format!("{} {} {}", $valOne, $conjunction, $valTwo)
-    );
-    ($conjunction:expr, $valOne:expr, $valTwo:expr $(, $remaining_values:expr)*) => (
-        format!("{}, {}", $valOne, $crate::snippet_list_join_oxford_comma!($conjunction, $valTwo $(, $remaining_values)*))
-    );
-}
-
-//-- message templates : invalid input
-
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! msg_invalid_input {
-    ($reason: expr) => {
-        format!("invalid input: {}", $reason)
-    };
-}
-
-// -- message templates : invalid input : flag
-
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! msg_invalid_opt_use {
-    ($about:expr, $flag:expr) => {
-        $crate::msg_invalid_input!(format!("The '{}' option {}", $flag, $about))
-    };
-    ($about:expr, $long_flag:expr, $short_flag:expr) => {
-        $crate::msg_invalid_input!(format!(
-            "The '{}' ('{}') option {}",
-            $long_flag, $short_flag, $about
-        ))
-    };
-}
-
-// Only used by "cut"
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! msg_opt_only_usable_if {
-    ($clause:expr, $flag:expr) => {
-        $crate::msg_invalid_opt_use!(format!("only usable if {}", $clause), $flag)
-    };
-    ($clause:expr, $long_flag:expr, $short_flag:expr) => {
-        $crate::msg_invalid_opt_use!(
-            format!("only usable if {}", $clause),
-            $long_flag,
-            $short_flag
-        )
-    };
-}
-
-// Used only by "cut"
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! msg_opt_invalid_should_be {
-    ($expects:expr, $received:expr, $flag:expr) => {
-        $crate::msg_invalid_opt_use!(
-            format!("expects {}, but was provided {}", $expects, $received),
-            $flag
-        )
-    };
-    ($expects:expr, $received:expr, $long_flag:expr, $short_flag:expr) => {
-        $crate::msg_invalid_opt_use!(
-            format!("expects {}, but was provided {}", $expects, $received),
-            $long_flag,
-            $short_flag
-        )
-    };
-}
-
-// -- message templates : invalid input : input combinations
-
-// UNUSED!
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! msg_expects_one_of {
-    ($valOne:expr $(, $remaining_values:expr)*) => (
-        $crate::msg_invalid_input!(format!("expects one of {}", $crate::snippet_list_join!("or", $valOne $(, $remaining_values)*)))
-    );
-}
-
-// Used only by "cut"
-#[macro_export]
-macro_rules! msg_expects_no_more_than_one_of {
-    ($valOne:expr $(, $remaining_values:expr)*) => (
-        $crate::msg_invalid_input!(format!("expects no more than one of {}", $crate::snippet_list_join!("or", $valOne $(, $remaining_values)*))) ;
-    );
-}