Get down to brass tacks means: To (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something.. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
get down to brass tacks
(originally, and, chiefly, US, idiomatic) To (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something.
ɡɛt ˈdaʊn tə bɹɑːs ˈtæksDocumented since 1850sSilenthistorical49 viewsLast reviewed Jun 29, 2026＋ Add a definition
Etymology timeline
Born ~1854 · no dated citations yet19th centurySee decade cohort →
Definitions
#1·Apr 27, 2026
(originally, and, chiefly, US, idiomatic) To (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something.
Origin: The origin is . It is probably a variant of the earlier term down to the brass (see, for example, the 1854 quotation), and the following etymologies have been suggested: * The term refers to the brass tacks used in upholstery which have to be removed when a piece of furniture is reupholstered, or brass tacks stuck into the counter of a draper’s shop or hardware store to measure items precisely in yards. * Another possibility is that the brass tacks are nails used to seal coffin lids,. Origin information sourced from Wiktionary contributors (CC BY-SA 4.0).
For parents
Get down to brass tacks means: To (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something.. It has drug-related associations; worth a calm conversation about which side of the topic your teen is on. If your teen uses it, context will usually make the intent clear. A short, curious question about where they heard it is usually all that is needed to know whether to follow up.
For ESL learners
get down to brass tacks means: To (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something.. Register: very informal, often derogatory or vulgar. Avoid in formal, business, academic, or polite writing. Even in casual speech the word can offend and is best left out of a learner's active vocabulary. A common learner mistake is using the word in a register it does not fit, or assuming a single global meaning; native speakers immediately notice when slang appears in formal contexts, so always check the surrounding register before producing it yourself.
Cluster: drugs
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Why is this section here?
Slang is read by different audiences for very different reasons. The For parents view re-explains the term in plain, non-judgemental language so a caregiver can understand what their child means without needing the surrounding subculture. The For English learners view focuses on register (when it's safe to use), formal alternatives, and common mistakes — what a textbook won't teach you.
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Other words near "get down to brass tacks" (G)
get bentget bent out of shapeget busyget by the ballsget downget down onget freakyget glad in the same pants one got mad inget gotget highget inget-in price
Browse all slang words starting with G.
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