meat-and-potatoes

1 of 2

adjective

meat-and-po·​ta·​toes ˈmēt-ən(d)-pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tōz How to pronounce meat-and-potatoes (audio)
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 (such as meat and potatoes)

meat and potatoes

2 of 2

noun

plural in form but singular or plural in construction
: the most interesting or fundamental part : meat sense 4

Examples of meat-and-potatoes in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Adjective
Other offerings include Versus mode, which is the standard local PvP deal, allowing players able to select from the huge roster of 32 characters for meat-and-potatoes brawls. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 23 Jan. 2024 That is, the Biden Justice Department’s special counsel ignored the prudential meat-and-potatoes guidance. Andrew C. McCarthy, National Review, 13 Jan. 2024 It’s populated with meat-and-potatoes, blood, sweat and tears working actors who are very respected. Christi Carras, Los Angeles Times, 6 Sep. 2023 Often humanities are still considered less valuable than the meat-and-potatoes of basic and clinical sciences. Isabella Cueto, STAT, 30 Aug. 2023 There’s a place for what amounts to meat-and-potatoes TV, even in the prestige-conscious streaming world. Brian Lowry, CNN, 21 July 2023 In an hour and a quarter, the artist and his backing band, an ever-reliable collective called The Food Stamps, traveled through gospel, bluegrass standards, originals and straight-fire, meat-and-potatoes country music. Diana Leyva, USA TODAY, 19 June 2023 And although most songs here don’t stray appreciably far from the Foos’ hearty, meat-and-potatoes rock offerings, a couple of experiments are revelatory. Jonathan Cohen, SPIN, 26 May 2023 And to Hall’s point, teams on the road seem to play a more meat-and-potatoes game. Matt Porter, BostonGlobe.com, 28 Apr. 2023
Noun
Tired of meat and potatoes or chicken and rice for dinner? Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune, 27 Feb. 2024 The menu is Sonoran-inspired, featuring dishes like meat and potatoes with gnocchi from Sedona Pasta Company and a sweet roasted salmon succotash. Endia Fontanez, The Arizona Republic, 22 Jan. 2024 Theme nights have long been the meat and potatoes of nightclubs. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 31 Jan. 2024 The adult-only locale leans into its cave name with low lighting and wall designs that resemble ancient drawings but the menu goes far beyond simple meat and potatoes. Brande Victorian, Essence, 20 Dec. 2023 This will fulfill any meat and potatoes craving, especially when served with a rich, brown gravy. Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 6 Nov. 2023 Potatoes are always a great match for steak, and Crispy Potatoes fill that meat and potatoes craving. Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 9 Oct. 2023 And what could be more musically meat and potatoes than an orchestral concert of Schumann and Brahms? Scott Cantrell, Dallas News, 9 Sep. 2023 The playoffs are the meat and potatoes, with dessert thrown in. Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 27 Apr. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'meat-and-potatoes.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1951, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of meat-and-potatoes was in 1846

Dictionary Entries Near meat-and-potatoes

meat

meat-and-potatoes

meat and potatoes

Cite this Entry

“Meat-and-potatoes.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/meat-and-potatoes. Accessed 30 Mar. 2024.

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