Getting Down to Brass Tacks

“Getting down to brass tacks.” This well-worn phrase finds its origin in the old-fashioned fabric stores. When a customer would decide on a certain type and color of cloth, the shopkeeper would put the roll of fabric on his counter and stretch it out. Brass tacks were imbedded along the edge of the counter in one-foot intervals. The shopkeeper would measure the amount of cloth requested by counting the brass tacks along the counter. Thus, when a customer had made her selection and was ready to make her purchase, she would often say to the clerk, “Let’s get down to brass tacks.” And so the phrase has found its way into our vocabulary and onto the cover of this volume since the contents describe what it means to get down to the real business at hand, to get down to details and do something about it.