ENGLISH
REFERENCE

skinny

n. uncountable
C1 Advanced US //ˈskɪni// UK //skˈɪni// skin·ny Dialect Informal

n. the secret or true information about a situation. You use this when you want to know the real facts that most people do not have.

n. the inside information or the actual facts regarding a specific situation. Informal in register and typically used with the definite article.


SIMPLE

Give me the skinny on the new boss.

CONTEXTUAL

Before the meeting started, I asked my colleague for the skinny on why the project was being cancelled.

COMPLEX

While the official press release was vague, the local reporters were busy trying to get the skinny from their sources inside the mayor's office.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English skinny (“resembling skin”), equivalent to skin + -y. The meaning associated with lack of fat or muscle possibly derives from the phrase skin and bones; the meaning associated with nudity refers to the exposed skin.

Usage

Almost always used with the definite article 'the' and frequently followed by the preposition 'on'.

Idioms2 entries

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