nuts and bolts, the

Idioms  

1. The essential or basic aspects of something, as in They have lofty goals but don't specify the nuts and bolts of how to achieve them. This expression alludes to basic working components of machinery. [Mid-1900s]

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Example Sentences

Officials readily acknowledge that beyond the nuts and bolts, the advanced, cutting-edge systems surrounding the vehicle are crucial.

From Washington Times

Photographs taken during searches of the Granby House flat and the family home in Fallowfield in the days after the bombing showed discarded oil cans, residue from bomb-making chemicals, and various nuts and bolts, the court heard.

From BBC

While the Li Keqiang Index has some grounding in economic nuts and bolts, the Liaoning Underwear Index was greeted by economists with a hefty dose of caution.

From New York Times

Without getting into the nuts and bolts, the gist is that Milwaukee has a good coach now in Mike Budenholzer—another of the Popovich disciples that will soon, I have to assume, control every team in the NBA—and they're using Giannis in that hybrid, sometimes point-guard role that not only showcases his talents, but makes teammates like Brooke Lopez look like Steph Curry.

From Golf Digest

The problems included loose nuts and bolts, the wrong solvent being used to clean propulsion vales and improper test wiring that caused excess voltage to be applied to devices called transducers.

From Reuters