meat and potatoes

meat and potatoes
noun plural but singular or plural in construction Date: 1951 the most interesting or fundamental part ; meat 4

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • 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

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