Hyphenation
get Down to brass tacksTurkish pronunciation
get daun tı bräs täksPronunciation
/ˈget ˈdoun tə ˈbras ˈtaks/ /ˈɡɛt ˈdaʊn tə ˈbræs ˈtæks/
Etymology
() Unknown
, Dave Wilton, Monday, May 26, 2008 Earliest attestation in 1863 US, specifically Texas. A theory is that it comes from the brass tacks in the counter of a hardware store or draper's shop used to measure cloth in precise units (rather than holding one end to the nose and stretching out the arm to approximately one yard).