| 释义 |
meat and potatoes
meat M0182700 (mēt)n.1. The edible flesh of animals, especially that of mammals as opposed to that of fish or poultry.2. The edible part, as of a piece of fruit or a nut.3. The essence, substance, or gist: the meat of the editorial.4. Slang Something that one enjoys or excels in; a forte: Tennis is his meat.5. Nourishment; food: "Love is not all: it is not meat nor drink" (Edna St. Vincent Millay).6. Vulgar Slang a. The human body regarded as an object of sexual desire.b. The genitals.Idiom: meat and potatoes Informal The fundamental parts or part; the basis.
[Middle English mete, from Old English, food.]meat′ and pota′toes
n. (used with a sing. or pl. v.) the essential or basic part. [1950–55] meat′-and-pota′toes
adj. fundamental; down-to-earth; basic: meat-and-potatoes issues. [1945–50] Thesaurus| Noun | 1. | meat and potatoes - the fundamental part; "successful negotiation is the meat and potatoes of arbitration"cornerstone, fundament, groundwork, basis, foundation, base - the fundamental assumptions from which something is begun or developed or calculated or explained; "the whole argument rested on a basis of conjecture" |
meat and potatoes
meat-and-potatoesConcerned with or pertaining to the most basic or fundamental aspects of something. Too much information will overwhelm the new intern, so just give him the meat-and-potatoes introduction. The meat-and-potatoes argument is that the law will unfairly target lower-class workers.the meat and potatoesThe most basic or fundamental aspects of something. Too much information will overwhelm the new hire, so just give him the meat and potatoes. The meat and potatoes of this game is keeping possession of the ball.See also: and, meat, potatomeat and potatoesThe fundamental part or parts of something, as in This paragraph is the meat and potatoes of the contract. This metaphoric term transfers what some regard as basic fare to the basics of an issue. [Mid-1900s] See also: and, meat, potatomeat and potatoes INFORMALThe meat and potatoes of something are the most important and basic things about it or parts of it. American workwear is the meat and potatoes of off-duty clothing. The real meat and potatoes of any auto show is in the cars and trucks people can buy now.See also: and, meat, potatomeat and potatoes ordinary but fundamental things; basic ingredients. 1993 New York Times Mainstream rock acts like Van Halen and Bruce Springsteen are the meat and potatoes of A.O.R. See also: and, meat, potato meat and potatoes Informal The fundamental parts or part; the basis.See also: and, meat, potatomeat and drink to me, it isA source of great pleasure. This term appears in Shakespeare’s As You Like It (5.1), in which Touchstone declares, “It is meat and drink to me to see a clown,” but it appears in earlier sources as well. The phrase was hyperbole from the very start, since meat (meaning food) and drink are clearly essential to life. More straightforward is the much newer meat and potatoes, used from the mid-twentieth century on to signify the basics of an issue (transferring the idea that meat and potatoes are the basics of the human diet).See also: and, drink, meatmeat and potatoes
Words related to meat and potatoesnoun the fundamental partRelated Words- cornerstone
- fundament
- groundwork
- basis
- foundation
- base
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