meat-and-potatoes

1 of 2

adjective

meat-and-po·​ta·​toes ˈmēt-ən(d)-pə-ˈtā-(ˌ)tōz 

1

: of fundamental importance : basic

the meat-and-potatoes provisions in the contract

also : concerned with or emphasizing the basic aspects of something

meat-and-potatoes sports fans

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

the meat and potatoes of the report

Synonyms of meat-and-potatoes

Adjective

• basic
• elementary
• introductory
• rudimentary
• fundamental

Noun

• root
• heart
• core
• kernel
• essence
• bottom line
• meat
• sum and substance
• point

Examples of meat-and-potatoes in a Sentence

Adjective

a meat-and-potatoes knowledge of figure skating is all that a spectator really needs

Noun

an article that never gets into the meat and potatoes of a solution to the city's rising crime rate

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

The area Van Lith hunts is Midwest meat-and-potatoes farm-country habitat. — Jeff Murray, Outdoor Life, 20 Aug. 2026

This is only now and ever was and ever will be just a straight-up, meat-and-potatoes, black-and-white antitrust case. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 19 Aug. 2026

Noun

And again, this is where our negotiations are focused with the DSPs because this is the real meat and potatoes of how money is made and how this could impact it. — Max Tani, semafor.com, 14 Aug. 2026

Her busts of wealthy abolitionists and famous men, such as Lincoln and Longfellow, come across as the meat and potatoes of a commercial artistic practice, but her group sculptures are tantalizingly tricky. — Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 8 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1846, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1951, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for meat-and-potatoes

• potatoes
• tomatoes