nitty-grittynit‧ty-grit‧ty /ˌnɪti ˈɡrɪti/ noun informal 
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
WORD ORIGINnitty-gritty
Origin:
1900-2000 Probably based on grittyEXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- But how did he do on the nitty-gritty?
Longman Language Activatordetails about something
the exact details about a particular person, plan, agreement etc: · I gave him all the particulars he needed: my name, address, and the name of the hospital where I work.particulars of: · The treaty was signed despite some haggling over the particulars of each country's stock of weapons.take down somebody's particulars (=write down their personal details, for example their name and address): · After the police officer had taken down their particulars, the two men explained what had happened.
all the separate facts and details about something, especially an official proposal, contract, or statement: · It ought to be possible for partners to disagree on specifics while agreeing in general terms.specifics of: · Few of the specifics of James' proposals were implemented.get down to specifics (=consider or talk about the details): · Now that we've agreed on the general principles of our policy, let's get down to specifics.
informal all the exact details of something complicated: · I can't tell you all the ins and outs of the situation over the phone, I'll write to you next week.· I found I needed to spend quite a while learning all the ins and outs of the system.
informal the most important basic facts about something: get down to the nitty-gritty (=consider or discuss the most important basic facts): · You've got to get down to the nitty-gritty: how the stage will look, what the lighting will be like, and who designs the costumes.the nitty-gritty details/issues: · Kennedy immersed himself in the nitty-gritty details of the prosecutions.
technical details of something such as a system, process, or skill that you can only understand if you have special knowledge or training: · He got a job at a printer's and quickly learned the technicalities such as paper sizes and the processes involved.technicalities of: · They discussed the technicalities of this delicate operation for some time.· Although most of us do not know much about the technicalities of surveys, we have a broad idea of what they are about.
formal very small and exact details that are not really important: · Don't get bogged down in factual minutiae.the minutiae of: · He carefully recorded the minutiae of his social life in his diary.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY
the nitty-gritty the basic and practical facts of a subject or activity: - Kennedy immersed himself in the nitty-gritty details of the prosecutions.
- You've got to get down to the nitty-gritty: how the stage will look, what the lighting will be like, and who designs the costumes.
Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty and work out the costs.