brass tacks

American  

noun

Informal.

1. the most fundamental considerations; essentials; realities (usually used in the phraseget down to brass tacks ).

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brass tacks British  

plural noun

1. informal basic realities; hard facts (esp in the phrase get down to brass tacks )

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Etymology

Origin of brass tacks

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

After warm handshakes and a warning about Taiwan from Xi Jinping on Thursday, the Chinese president and Trump were due to get down to brass tacks on Friday with discussions on trade, geopolitics and AI.

From Barron's • May 15, 2026

“Investors are getting down to brass tacks and saying ‘what do we want to own over the next few months,’” MAI’s Grisanti said.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 2, 2026

“The major work will happen in the months ahead, when we’ll get down to brass tacks and craft a responsible and balanced budget which will help make California more livable and affordable.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 6, 2025

But when it came to brass tacks, to financial compensation, they were not.

From BBC • Dec. 18, 2024

“When it comes down to brass tacks, you don’t give a damn about them. Or _ _ r> me. “

From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy