nitty-gritty
n 1: the choicest or most essential or most vital part of some
idea or experience; "the gist of the prosecutor's
argument"; "the heart and soul of the Republican Party";
"the nub of the story" [syn: {kernel}, {substance}, {core},
{center}, {centre}, {essence}, {gist}, {heart}, {heart and
soul}, {inwardness}, {marrow}, {meat}, {nub}, {pith},
{sum}, {nitty-gritty}]