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.

---

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

---

Etymology

Origin of nitty-gritty

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

Example Sentences

But when you actually get into the nitty-gritty, it’s a long time ago.

From Los Angeles Times

But I’m not interested in getting into the nitty-gritty of it all.

From Los Angeles Times

Get into the nitty-gritty early on so you’re not scrambling the day of.

From MarketWatch

In short, they performed the sort of nitty-gritty credit analysis on the mortgage loans that should have been done before the loans were made in the first place.

From Literature

It’s about dealing with the nitty-gritty details of making sure the fleet is ready to be in service.

From The Wall Street Journal