meat and potatoes

¹

noun

, (used with a singular or plural verb)

1. the essential or basic part:

   Community service is the meat and potatoes of this program.

meat-and-potatoes

²

or meat-and-po·ta·to

[ meet-n-puh-tey-tohz, -tuhz ]

adjective

, Informal.

1. fundamental; down-to-earth; basic:

   What are the meat-and-potatoes issues of the election?

Word History and Origins

Origin of meat and potatoes¹

Probably earlier than 1950–55

Origin of meat and potatoes²

First recorded in 1945–50

Idioms and Phrases

The fundamental part or parts of something, as in This paragraph is the meat and potatoes of the contract . This metaphoric term transfers what some regard as basic fare to the basics of an issue. [Mid-1900s]