meat-and-potatoes

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adjective

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

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• abecedarian
• basal
• basic
• beginning
• elemental
• elementary
• essential
• fundamental
• introductory
• rudimental
• rudimentary
• underlying

Noun

• bottom line
• bull's-eye
• centerpiece
• core
• crux
• essence
• gist
• heart
• kernel
• keynote
• meat
• net
• nub
• nubbin
• nucleus
• pith
• pivot
• point
• root
• sum

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 first is a new coach in Craig Berube, who has his team playing a meat-and-potatoes style that will supposedly fit well in a playoff setting. —Nick Ashbourne, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2025

Still, neither brings the kind of meat-and-potatoes hockey that Tanev does. —Joshua Kloke, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025

Noun

Although many tend to focus on the first round, teams build the meat and potatoes of their rosters during the second and third days of the draft. —Antwan Staley, New York Daily News, 14 Apr. 2025

Get the meat and potatoes before the zesty side dishes. —Sean Hammond, Chicago Tribune, 20 Mar. 2025

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