Nitty-gritty | Willy-nilly | Wishy-washy | Itsy-bitsy

Nitty-Gritty

아주 중요한 핵심, 또는 자세한 디테일

the most important aspects or practical details of a subject or situation.

definition을 보면 중요한 것을 얘기하는 것 같지만, 사실 중요한 details로 "디테일!"을 가르킴

명사인데, 항상 the와 함께 쓰이고

The nitty gritty details

Get down to the nitty gritty

Get into the nitty gritty

Delve into the nitty gritty

등의 형태로 쓰임.

 

[예문]

The big picture might matter as much as the nitty-gritty.

But scientists don’t yet understand the nitty-gritty details of the connection between solar outbursts and space weather phenomena well enough to predict space weather.

 

 

Willy-Nilly

whether you like it or not. 싫든 좋든 (상관없이), 좋아하든 말든

without direction or planning; haphazardly. 닥치는 대로, 되는 대로

Will I, Nill I가 변형된걸로, I'm willing and I'm unwilling

부사처럼 쓰이고, 흔히 문장 마지막에 따라붙음

 

[예문]

He would be forced to collaborate willy-nilly

Politicians expanded spending programs willy-nilly.

 

Wishy-washy

(of drink or liquid food such as soup) weak; watery.

weak in willpower, courage or vitality; lacking strength or boldness

미온적인, 확고하지 못한, 우유부단, 다른 사람 말에 이랬다가 저랬다가

Someone is wishy-washy about something

 

[예문]

If he wins the nomination, they might find that nominating an ideologically flexible, wishy-washy moderate, and counting on the unpopularity of the sitting president to put you over the top, is not a winning strategy.

 

 

Itsy-bitsy

very small; tiny.

 

[예문]

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up the waterspout (유명한 동요)