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

While Brussels is setting out the nitty-gritty of the reforms it wants from Magyar, leaders will also be pushing for a new approach on Ukraine.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

While his peers scrimmaged against players in their own grade, the young Kon Knueppel spent his evenings taking a crash course in basketball nitty-gritty from guys two or three times his age.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

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

From MarketWatch • Nov. 28, 2025

“Democrats have got to turn the focus and start to appreciate those that are all around this country, that are doing the nitty-gritty day-to-day work, that don’t have all the money,” Bush said.

From Slate • Oct. 23, 2025

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 "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows