nitty-gritty

What it means

The nitty-gritty is the core practical detail of a situation, the specifics that really matter once the overview is out of the way. It is most often used in the phrase 'get down to the nitty-gritty,' meaning to focus on what is essential.

Examples

• Let's skip the small talk and get down to the nitty-gritty.
• She wanted the big picture, not the nitty-gritty.
• The nitty-gritty of the contract was negotiated all night.
• He explained the nitty-gritty of how the engine actually works.

Where it comes from

First recorded in American English in the 1930s, possibly from jazz or African American slang. The reduplicative form suggests fine, granular detail like 'grit.'

Related idioms