nuts and bolts
Practical working details
Nuts and bolts are the basic, practical components of something—the essential details that make it work.
The phrase comes from the literal fasteners that hold machinery together: Let's get down to the nuts and bolts of the proposal.
As an adjective, nuts-and-bolts describes fundamental, hands-on concerns: nuts-and-bolts training, nuts-and-bolts issues.
Foundational knowledge of something
- fundamentalsCore elements of something
- coreCentral essential portion
- rudimentsElementary first principles
- practicalitiesConcrete, functional considerations
nitty-gritty · groundwork · underpinnings · foundation · bedrock · cornerstone · framework · infrastructure
Spacer ring for fasteners
- locknutSelf-securing threaded fastener
- threadedPassed through an opening
- tightenMake more secure
- wrenchTool for turning fasteners
torque · socket · spanner · hex · ratchet · secure · clamp · anchor
Toothed rotating machine parts
- assemblyConstructing from components
- machineryCollective mechanical equipment
- componentsConstituent parts
- partsIndividual elements of whole
fittings · cogs · bearings · shafts · pulleys · levers · pistons · linkages
Relating to building framework
- frameworkUnderlying support system
- girderMain structural support beam
- beamStructural support member
- trussLoad-bearing beam arrangement
scaffolding · rebar · welding · fabrication · steelwork · bridgework · joinery · assembly
basics
Foundational knowledge of something
- fundamentalsCore elements of something
- coreCentral essential portion
- rudimentsElementary first principles
practicalities · nitty-gritty · groundwork · underpinnings · foundation · bedrock · cornerstone · framework · infrastructure · principles
washer
Spacer ring for fasteners
wrench · torque · socket · spanner · hex · ratchet · secure · clamp · anchor · rivet
gears
Toothed rotating machine parts
- assemblyConstructing from components
- machineryCollective mechanical equipment
- componentsConstituent parts
parts · fittings · cogs · bearings · shafts · pulleys · levers · pistons · linkages · couplings
structural
Relating to building framework
truss · scaffolding · rebar · welding · fabrication · steelwork · bridgework · joinery · assembly · blueprint
- fundamentalsbasics, fundamentals, essentials, foundation, ABCs
- particularsdetails, specifics, particulars, minutiae, nuances
- constructionconstruction site, building site, hammer, building, beam
- getting organizedget organized, in order, put in place, straighten up, tidy up
- necessitiesbasics, essentials, need, essential, needs
- pairspair, pairs, two, duo, duos
nuts and boltstheory
Explanatory set of principles
philosophy · abstractions · conceptual framework · ideology · blue-sky thinking
nuts and boltsbells and whistles
Superfluous attractive features
frills · flourishes · window dressing · trimmings · ornamentation
nuts and boltsbig picture
Overall perspective on things
broad strokes · overview · grand design · bird's-eye view · strategic vision
bolt, nuts, bolts, bolted, unbolt, unbolted, nutshell, nutcracker, nutter