down and dirty

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

down and dirty adjective (down-and-dirty when prenominal)

1. ruthlessly competitive or underhand
2. uninhibited; frank

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

down-and-dirt•y  (doun′ən dûr′tē) adj. [Informal.]

1. Informal Terms unscrupulous;
   nasty: a down-and-dirty election campaign.
2. Informal Terms earthy;
   funky.

• 1985–90