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On the slave ships that plied their trade between Africa, Great Britain and the Americas in the 1800s and later, many slaves would die during the voyage. They would be unshackled and pushed into the bilges of the ship. When the ship reached port the living slaves would be taken off and then the dead bodies would have to be cleared out. They were known as 'The Nitty Gritty' the etymology of the terms is disputed but is might be allied to words I am not allowed to use in this posting and others. 'Getting down to the Nitty Gritty' therefore refers to the absolute bottom of the ship.

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12y ago

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