Basic things, arguably lousy and tough

Wiktionary Word definitions in Wiktionary
n. (context colloquial English) The essence or core of something; the details.

Wikipedia Word definitions in Wikipedia
Nitty-gritty , Nitty Gritty , etc. may refer to: Nitty Gritty (1957–1991), Jamaican reggae singer Nitty Gritty (song) , a 1963 song recorded by Shirley Ellis Nitty Gritty Dirt Band , an American country music band

Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary Word definitions in Douglas Harper's Etymology Dictionary
"basic facts," 1961, knitty-gritty , American English, said to have been chiefly used by black jazz musicians, perhaps ultimately from nit and grits "finely ground corn." As an adjective from 1966.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English Word definitions in Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
noun EXAMPLES FROM CORPUS ▪ But how did he do on the nitty-gritty ?

WordNet Word definitions in WordNet
n. the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party"; "the nub of the story" [syn: kernel , substance , core , center , essence , gist , heart ...