meat and potatoes

meat and potatoes
noun
the fundamental part
-

successful negotiation is the meat and potatoes of arbitration

• Hypernyms: ↑basis, ↑base, ↑foundation, ↑fundament, ↑groundwork, ↑cornerstone

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\\"ˌ\ noun plural but singular or plural in construction
Etymology: from their traditional role as basic dietary items
: the most important or fundamental part : essence 7

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Informal.
the essential or basic part: Community service is the meat and potatoes of this program.
[‡ 1950-55]

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meat and potatoes (N Am sl)
The basic or essential parts of anything
• • •
Main Entry: ↑meat

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meat and potatoes mainly american informal phrase
the most important part of something

The meat and potatoes of any contract is money.

Thesaurus: important thing or detailsynonym
Main entry: meat

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meat and potatoes,
Informal. the principal part; foundation; basis: »

Textbooks remain the meat and potatoes of publishing in Canada (Maclean's).

meat-and-po|ta|toes «MEET uhn puh TAY tohz», adjective.
Informal. basic; fundamental: »

One would like to urge [him] to leave the meat-and-potatoes repertory for which his style of playing is not best suited for more contemporary cuisine (New York Times).

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ordinary but fundamental things; basic ingredients

the club's meat and potatoes remains blues performers

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noun [noncount]
US informal : the most basic or important part of something : ↑meat

Basic conservation is still the meat and potatoes of their environmental plan.

the meat and potatoes of the contract/argument

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ˌmeat and poˈtatoes 7 [meat and potatoes] noun uncountable (NAmE)
the most basic and important aspects or parts of sth

•

Issues like this are the newspaper's meat and potatoes.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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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 — ¦ ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷ ¦ ̷ ̷  ̷ ̷ 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

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