down-and-dirty

[doun-uh n-dur-tee] /ˈdaʊn ənˈdɜr ti/
adjective, Informal.
1.
unscrupulous; nasty:
a down-and-dirty election campaign.
2.
earthy; funky.
Origin
1985-90
British Dictionary definitions for down and dirty

down and dirty

adjective (down-and-dirty when prenominal) (informal, mainly US)
1.
ruthlessly competitive or underhand: if Bush gets down and dirty the Governor will give as good as he gets
2.
uninhibited; frank
Slang definitions & phrases for down and dirty

down and dirty

adjective phrase

Nasty; low; vicious and deceptive •Also uttered in seven-card stud poker as the last cards are dealt face down: Mississippi: A Down and Dirty Campaign/ This is down-and-dirty time. Just witness Rizzo's angry characterization of Goode (1950s+)


Idioms and Phrases with down and dirty

down and dirty

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