nitty-gritty
[ nit-ee-grit-ee ]
/ ˈnɪt iˈgrɪt i /
noun
the essential substance or details of a matter; basics; crux: Let's skip the chitchat and get down to the nitty-gritty.
adjective
fundamental, detailed, or probing: nitty-gritty questions.
direct and practical: nitty-gritty advice; a nitty-gritty system.
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RELATED WORDS
kernel, substance, gist, core, fundamentals, essence, focus, reality, heart, quintessence, basics, soul, root, meat
Nearby words
- nitryl,
- nits-and-lice,
- nitti,
- nitti, francesco saverio,
- nitty,
- nitwit,
- niu tireni,
- niuan,
- niue,
- niuean
Origin of nitty-gritty
An Americanism dating back to 1960–65; rhyming compound of uncertain origin
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nitty-gritty
nitty-gritty
/ (ˈnɪtɪˈɡrɪtɪ) /
noun
the nitty-gritty informal the basic facts of a matter, situation, etc; the core
Word Origin for nitty-gritty
C20: perhaps rhyming compound formed from grit
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
nitty-gritty
"basic facts," 1961, knitty-gritty, American English, said to have been chiefly used by black jazz musicians, perhaps ultimately from nit and grits "finely ground corn." As an adjective from 1966.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper