- meat and potatoes
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the essential or basic part: Community service is the meat and potatoes of this program.[‡ 1950-55]
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Universalium. 2010.
meat and potatoes
Look at other dictionaries:
meat and potatoes — The meat and potatoes is the most important part of something. A meat and potatoes person is someone who prefers plain things to fancy ones … The small dictionary of idiomes
meat-and-potatoes — meat and po tatoes adjective only before noun 1. ) with ordinary tastes and not liking anything unusual or complicated: a real meat and potatoes kind of guy 2. ) basic and simple: a meat and potatoes diagram … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
meat-and-potatoes — [mēt′ n pə tāt′əz] adj. Informal 1. basic; fundamental [they talked about the meat and potatoes issues] 2. ordinary; everyday … English World dictionary
meat-and-potatoes — meat′ and pota′toes adj. cvb fundamental; down to earth; basic: meat and potatoes issues[/ex] • Etymology: 1945–50 … From formal English to slang
meat and potatoes — pl.n. Informal basic parts or aspects; essentials; fundamentals … English World dictionary
meat and potatoes — noun the fundamental part successful negotiation is the meat and potatoes of arbitration • Hypernyms: ↑basis, ↑base, ↑foundation, ↑fundament, ↑groundwork, ↑cornerstone * * * ˌ noun plural but singular or p … Useful english dictionary
meat-and-potatoes — ¦ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ ¦ ̷ ̷ ̷ ̷ adjective 1. : of fundamental importance : basic the meat and potatoes problems of everyday living and loving D.J.Heckman also : concerned with or emphasizing the basic aspects of something meat and potatoes sports fans … Useful english dictionary
meat-and-potatoes — UK / US adjective [only before noun] mainly American informal 1) with ordinary tastes and not liking anything unusual or complicated a real meat and potatoes kind of guy 2) basic and simple a meat and potatoes diagram … English dictionary
meat-and-potatoes — American, informal the meat and potatoes the most important or basic parts of something. The focus was on jobs, health care, and other meat and potatoes issues. (always before noun) … New idioms dictionary
meat-and-potatoes — adjective Date: 1949 1. of fundamental importance ; basic; also concerned with or emphasizing the basic aspects of something 2. unpretentious, simple < a real meat and potatoes guy > 3. providing or preferring simple food (as meat and potatoes) … New Collegiate Dictionary
meat and potatoes — The meat and potatoes is the most important part of something. A meat and potatoes person is someone who prefers plain things to fancy ones. (Dorking School Dictionary) … English Idioms & idiomatic expressions
