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

See Examples For:

nitty-gritty

When SpaceX reports quarterly earnings for the first time on Tuesday, investors are likely to focus their attention more on comments from CEO Elon Musk than on the financial nitty-gritty.

From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026

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

Say you don’t pay much attention to the nitty-gritty of politics and think they’re all a bunch of clowns.

From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2026

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 ● Feb. 27, 2026

The nitty-gritty details of the historical event itself might slip in and out of my brain like water through a screen, but this, this I could do.

From "Glitch" by Laura Martin