down-and-dirty

[ doun-uhn-dur-tee ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. unscrupulous; nasty:

   a down-and-dirty election campaign.

2. earthy; funky.

down and dirty

adjective

1. ruthlessly competitive or underhand

   if Bush gets down and dirty the Governor will give as good as he gets

2. uninhibited; frank

Word History and Origins

Origin of down-and-dirty¹

First recorded in 1985–90

Example Sentences

Few have had much luck, whether they try to take the high road or get down and dirty with Trump, the presumptive Republican nominee for president.

From Seattle Times

Some mate hanging upside down from branches, whereas others get down and dirty on cave walls and in rocky crevices.

From Science Magazine

“When she first goes to see Mohamed Al-Fayed, we decided on that red dress, which is based on something she wore, and it’s almost the last moment before she gets down and dirty on the holiday,” Sidonie says.

From Los Angeles Times

His books, including the era-defining New Hollywood gossip-fest “Easy Riders, Raging Bulls” and the not-quite-exposé of Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax, “Down and Dirty Pictures,” play like gleefully competitive food fights among Hollywood’s power elite.

From Los Angeles Times

His players are dead serious, unflappable and willing to get down and dirty.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• bawdy
• crude
• ribald
• vulgar