nuts and bolts
The basic inner workings of something; the fundamentals; that which makes something operate.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“We need to learn the nuts and bolts of this machine.”
“The manager explained the nuts and bolts of the new project to the entire team during the meeting.”
“Before attempting to reform the entire organization, the consultant spent weeks studying the nuts and bolts of its daily operations.”
- 01
bolt bucket
A machine, especially an automobile. Implies that the machine is clunky or unreliable.
- 02
bolt from the blue
A complete surprise; something totally unexpected.
- 03
bolt to the bran
To examine thoroughly, so as to separate or discover everything important.
- 04
bucket of bolts
A piece of machinery that is not worth more than its scrap value, often an old car.
- 05
bust a nut
To ejaculate.
- 06
close the stable door after the horse has bolted
To attempt to prevent a problem that has already occurred; to design and implement a preventive mechanism that is too late (after the first failure instead of before).
- 07
employ a steam engine to crack a nut
To carry out a simple task in an overcomplicated manner.
- 08
hard nut to crack
A problem that is challenging to solve.
Last updated August 10, 2026