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

They were just sort of in a, in a very nitty gritty way, trying to solve the problems that were put in front of them.

From Scientific American • Oct. 12, 2023

If you love getting into the nitty gritty of your profession and talking about a subject for two hours, make a podcast.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 18, 2023

Young, a veteran congressional staffer with warm relationships on both sides of the aisle, comes into the debt-limit fight armed with years of experience negotiating the nitty gritty details of federal government spending.

From Seattle Times • May 24, 2023

Seven Fifty gets into the nitty gritty of the production, acknowledging that "alongside a growing range of proprietary technologies, beverage manufacturers employ two primary methods for alcohol removal: reverse osmosis and vacuum distillation."

From Salon • Nov. 11, 2022

"He gets into the nitty gritty, he passes legislation here in Florida that lots of people didn't think could pass in the past until he came along."

From BBC • Nov. 11, 2022