nitty-gritty

American  

[nit-ee-grit-ee] / ˈnɪt iˈgrɪt i /

noun

1. the essential substance or details of a matter; basics; crux.

   Let's skip the chitchat and get down to the nitty-gritty.

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adjective

1. fundamental, detailed, or probing.

   nitty-gritty questions.

2. direct and practical.

   nitty-gritty advice; a nitty-gritty system.

nitty-gritty British  

/ ˈnɪtɪˈɡrɪtɪ /

noun

1. informal the basic facts of a matter, situation, etc; the core

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Etymology

Origin of nitty-gritty

An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; rhyming compound of uncertain origin

Example Sentences

His advice is to really get into the nitty-gritty of what might go wrong with the vehicle and how much repairs might cost.

From MarketWatch

Keep the nitty-gritty of your plans to your financial manager and attorney — but explain the spirit of the plans to your kids.

From MarketWatch

The video was about yarn structure, which probably wasn’t interesting to most people, but the knitters who subscribed to Grandma’s YouTube channel loved the nitty-gritty details.

From Literature

The nitty-gritty factual stuff was his specialty, not mine.

From Literature

That meant the type of nitty-gritty negotiations needed to hash out potential structural changes to the sport never got off the ground.

From The Wall Street Journal