Meat-and-potatoes
[meet-n-puh-tey-tohz, -tuh z] /ˈmit n pəˈteɪ toʊz, -təz/
adjective, Informal.
1.
fundamental; down-to-earth; basic:
What are the meat-and-potatoes issues of the election?
noun, (used with a singular or plural verb) Informal.
1.
the essential or basic part:
Community service is the meat and potatoes of this program.
modifier
: It’s the meat-andpotatoes appeal, the old pull at the heart-strings
noun phrase
The simple fundamentals; the NITTY-GRITTY (1940s+)
The 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 ]
Read Also:
- Meat-ax
[meet-aks] /ˈmitˌæks/ adjective, Informal. 1. drastic or severe: meat-ax defense cuts. 2. favoring or advocating drastic reductions: a meat-ax approach to the budget. noun 1. (def 2). 2. Informal. a drastic or ruthless procedure or approach, especially for reducing or trimming something, as expenditures: The committee used a meat ax on the recreation budget.
- Meataxe
/ˈmiːtˌæks/ noun 1. a cleaver 2. (Austral & NZ, informal) mad as a meataxe, raving
- Meath
[meeth, meeth] /miθ, mið/ noun 1. a county in Leinster, in the E Republic of Ireland. 902 sq. mi. (2335 sq. km). County seat: Trim. /miːð; miːθ/ noun 1. a county of E Republic of Ireland, in Leinster province on the Irish Sea: formerly a kingdom much larger than the present county; livestock farming. County […]
- Meatball
[meet-bawl] /ˈmitˌbɔl/ noun 1. a small of ground , especially beef, often mixed with bread crumbs, seasonings, etc., before cooking. 2. Slang. an awkward, clumsy, or ineffectual person. /ˈmiːtˌbɔːl/ noun 1. minced beef, shaped into a ball before cooking 2. (US & Canadian, slang) a stupid or boring person n. 1801, from meat + ball […]
- Meat hammer
noun a hammerlike kitchen tool with gridlike teeth on one side of the head and possibly grooves on the other, used for tenderizing and flattening meat before cooking Examples The meat can be covered with waxed paper and pounded with the meat hammer. Word Origin cooking