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

Before long, former Top Chef champ Cécile is back slinging meat-and-potatoes at her parents’ roadside truck stop and rekindling old flames with her country-boy ex, Raphaël (Bastien Bouillon). —Ben Croll, IndieWire, 13 May 2025

The only cooking required is the hands-off step of simmering the farro, and the combination of flavors and textures will likely win over even the most meat-and-potatoes of diners. —Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 10 May 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