Other forms: got down to brass tacks; getting down to brass tacks; gets down to brass tacks; gotten down to brass tacks
If you’re planning a bike trip with friends, you might all have lots of exciting ideas, but at some point, you have to get down to brass tacks and figure out the details, like who will bring the snacks.
Many "ideas" that people have are great, but making them actually happen involves dealing with some practical details. A politician running for office, for example, might present some wonderful and appealing policies, but once elected, voters will want him or her to get down to brass tacks: Figure out how to make it happen! There are different theories about the origin of the phrase. It could be referring to the little tacks used in upholstering fine furniture, or to the tacks that used to be pounded into a sales counter for making precise measurements. Alternatively, "brass tacks" could be Cockney rhyming slang for "hard facts."