LL-L "Expressions" 2002.02.10 (05) [E]

[Lowlands-L]

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 L O W L A N D S - L * 10.FEB.2002 (05) * ISSN 189-5582 * LCSN 96-4226
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From: Edwin Alexander <edsells at cogeco.ca>
Subject: LL-L "Expressions" 2002.02.10 (02) [E]

At 10:33 AM 02/10/02 -0800, Ron wrote:

  > "Nitty gritty" or "nitty-gritty" means something like "the
  > (lengthy/mundane/boring) details."  According to my sources,
  > it is a relatively recent invention, probably from the 20th
  > century. As far as I know, it is used all over the English-
  > speaking world, probably spread thanks to modern media.
  > I wonder if its source can be found in Scots or in some
  > non-standard variety of English. Or might it be based on a
  > loan from another language?

I thought that it might be a slang version of something in Latin, like
hocus pocus.  Although this also seemed to be a deadend, I did find the
following on-line Latin dictionary, which may be of interest to some.
http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/cgi-bin/resolveform?lang=Latin

Ed Alexander
JAG REALTY INC.
80 Jones Street Hamilton, Ontario, Canada L8R 1Y1
Pager: 905-312-5204  Fax: 905-525-6671  www.jagrealty.com

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