down-and-dirty

[ doun-uh n-dur-tee ]
/ ˈdaʊn ənˈdɜr ti /

adjective Informal.

unscrupulous; nasty: a down-and-dirty election campaign.
earthy; funky.

Origin of down-and-dirty

First recorded in 1985–90

Words nearby down-and-dirty

down to the ground, down to the wire, down under, down with, down's syndrome, down-and-dirty, down-and-out, down-at-the-heels, down-ballot, down-bow, down-easter

British Dictionary definitions for down and dirty

down and dirty

adjective (down-and-dirty when prenominal) informal, mainly US

ruthlessly competitive or underhand if Bush gets down and dirty the Governor will give as good as he gets
uninhibited; frank

Idioms and Phrases with down and dirty

down and dirty
1

Vicious, not governed by rules of decency, as in The candidates are getting down and dirty early in the campaign. [Slang; early 1980s]

2

Very earthy, uninhibitedly sexual. For example, “L.A. club people rarely get down and dirty on a dance floor” (The New Yorker, May 21, 1990). [Late 1980s]