nitty-gritty: Meaning and Definition of

nit•ty-grit•ty

Pronunciation: (nit'ē-grit'ē), [key]
— Slang. Slang.
—n.
  1. the essential substance or details of a matter; basics; crux: Let's skip the chitchat and get down to the nitty-gritty.
—adj.
  1. fundamental, detailed, or probing: nitty-gritty questions.
  2. direct and practical: nitty-gritty advice; a nitty-gritty system.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.
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