get down to brass tacks

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• Received-Pronunciation: /ɡɛt ˈdaʊn tə bɹɑːs ˈtæks/
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• General-American: /ɡɛt ˈdaʊn tə bɹæs ˈtæks/
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• General-American: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
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• rhymes with -æks
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The origin is uncertain. 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, or tacks used to decorate or indicate a deceased person’s initials on such lids, and thus the term refers to dealing with matters as serious as death.

23 source translations are retained for this English entry.

• Dutch: ter zake komen — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Finnish: käydä asiaan — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Finnish: mennä asiaan — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• French: passer aux choses sérieuses — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• German: zur Sache kommen — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Icelandic: kjarni málsins — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Icelandic: koma sér að efninu — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Icelandic: staðreyndirnar — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Icelandic: þau atriði sem máli skipta — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Italian: darsi da fare — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Italian: darsi una mossa — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Italian: entrare nei dettagli — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Italian: rimboccarsi le maniche — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Italian: venire al dunque — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Italian: venire al sodo — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Norwegian: ta tyren ved hornene — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Polish: przechodzić do rzeczy — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Polish: przejść do rzeczy — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Russian: переходить к сути дела (perexoditʹ k suti dela) — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Spanish: ir al grano — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Swedish: komma till saken — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Ukrainian: перейти до справи (perejty do spravy) — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something
• Ukrainian: перейти до суті (perejty do suti) — to (start to) consider or deal with the most important details or facts about something