Nitty
/ˈnɪti/noun
Covered with or infested by nits; also used in the phrase "nitty-gritty" for the essential details.
Did you know?The word is linked to *nit*, the egg of a louse, and its rise in the phrase *nitty-gritty* helped turn a gross little parasite-root into a slang word for the essential core of a matter.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
hnitu
“a nit, the egg of a louse”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hnitō
“nit, louse egg”
Middle English
ME
nit
“a louse egg; by extension, a small contemptible thing”
19th Century
English
nitty
“covered with nits; nit-infested”
20th Century
English
nitty-gritty
“the essential facts or practical details of something”