Idiom
get down to brass tacks
Meanings
To begin focusing on the essential practical details or the main point of a discussion.
Definition
To get down to brass tacks means to start discussing the most important practical details of something.
If you get down to brass tacks, you stop talking in general terms and focus on the real, concrete facts or decisions. It often happens after some small talk or broad discussion. The phrase is common in meetings, negotiations, and planning.
Examples
- We’ve chatted enough—let’s get down to brass tacks and set a budget.
- After the introductions, the manager got down to brass tacks about deadlines.
- If we want this trip to happen, we need to get down to brass tacks and book flights.
- Stop speculating and get down to brass tacks: what evidence do we have?
- They finally got down to brass tacks and agreed on the price.
More at C1 level
- Monday morning quarterback A “Monday morning quarterback” is someone who criticizes decisions after the outcome is already kno…
- close but no cigar Used to say someone almost succeeded but did not quite achieve the goal.
- come hell or high water No matter what happens or how difficult things become.
- brass monkeys “Brass monkeys” is used in the expression “cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey,” mea…
- not cricket Used to say that something is unfair or unacceptable.
More idiom (verb phrase)s
- touch base To touch base means to briefly contact someone to share a quick update or confirm plans.
- take the mickey To take the mickey means to tease someone or make fun of them in a not-too-serious way.
- drop the ball To drop the ball means to make a mistake or fail to do something important that you were responsibl…
- have a chinwag To have a chinwag means to have a friendly, informal chat with someone.
- face the music To accept and deal with the unpleasant consequences of your actions or a difficult situation.