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gritty

English translation: Tough, rough, down-to-earth

21:19 Dec 4, 2018
English language (monolingual) [PRO]
Tourism & Travel
English term or phrase: gritty
an Italian city is described as anarchic and gritty.

What do you understand by gritty?

Many thanks

context
it's all about embracing chaos and magic and a healthy dose of fear.
It is a charmingly rough and tumble town
Lakasa Stnorden
Local time: 15:36
Selected answer:Tough, rough, down-to-earth
Explanation:
Gritty is a term used of tough urban spaces, of plays/shows that are challenging. To me it has connotations of low-life, graffiti, and general lack of any civilised qualities; other (younger!) people see it as hip, important and modern.
Selected response from:

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:36
Grading comment
Many thanks for your help!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED
4 +9Tough, rough, down-to-earth
Charlotte Fleming
4Unpleasant
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
3authentic, showing courage and determination
Paula Graf


Discussion entries: 2





  

Answers


16 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
Unpleasant


Explanation:
Gritty can mean brave but in this instance, teamed with anarchic, I would think it means it is not a nice place. See the third definition in the following link:




    https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/gritty
Sarah Lewis-Morgan
Germany
Local time: 20:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  philgoddard: It says "charmingly".
35 mins
neutral  Tony M: Not realy, in a cultural sense, it can be used in an approbatory way.
40 mins
neutral  Paula Graf: It is a "charmingly rough and tumble town" so I think can't be unpleasant, whitch have a negative connotation.
2 hrs
neutral  AllegroTrans: It says "charmingly" so this doesn't work
14 hrs
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: no, gritty probably means "hip" here as in down-to earth with no airs and graces but nevertheless with its own charm
17 hrs
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18 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5 peer agreement (net): +9
Tough, rough, down-to-earth


Explanation:
Gritty is a term used of tough urban spaces, of plays/shows that are challenging. To me it has connotations of low-life, graffiti, and general lack of any civilised qualities; other (younger!) people see it as hip, important and modern.

Charlotte Fleming
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:36
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 4
Grading comment
Many thanks for your help!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  philgoddard: I don't agree with your negative connotations, though. And I'm not young!
36 mins
agree  Tony M: Yes, "warts-and-all realism / authenticity", etc.
40 mins
agree  Mark Nathan: as opposed to polished, elegant, highly cultured etc
1 hr
agree  jccantrell
1 hr
agree  Anna Herbst
2 hrs
agree  Shekhar Banerjee: It has more to do with grit (courage, steadfastness) than anything else.
9 hrs
agree  AllegroTrans
14 hrs
agree  Alison Jenner
16 hrs
agree  Yvonne Gallagher: With Mark. But it would be good to have the full sentence.
17 hrs
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2 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
authentic, showing courage and determination


Explanation:
Because of "It is a charmingly rough and tumble town" I think can't be a negative meaning as, for example, harsh and unpleasant.

Example sentence(s):
  • have a gritty determination to succeed
Paula Graf
Portugal
Local time: 19:36
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese, Native in GermanGerman

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
neutral  AllegroTrans: This may be also true, but it's too much of an amplification of "gritty"
12 hrs
neutral  Yvonne Gallagher: Really a disagree. You are personifying a TOWN "have a gritty determination to succeed" !! No, this doesn't work for me at all here. "Authentic" might be OK (if we could see whole context) but, as AT says, you are overtranslating as well
15 hrs
  -> Figure of speech personification, like "The run-down house appeared depressed."
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