the nitty-gritty
noun /ðə ˌnɪti ˈɡrɪti/
/ðə ˌnɪti ˈɡrɪti/
[singular] (informal)- the basic or most important details of an issue or a situation
- Time ran out before we could get down to the real nitty-gritty.
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Word Origin1960s: of unknown origin.