subs. phr. (American).—The exact truth about a matter. TO GET TO THE BOTTOM FACTS (or BOTTOM-ROCK), to arrive at an unquestionable conclusion, to get to the root of a question.
18[?]. Methodist [BARTLETT]. Take it altogether, there is no way to raise money for the church without giving it. And here is the ‘BOTTOM FACT’ in the trouble: we want the church to have the money; but we want somebody else to pay it.
1877. S. L. CLEMENS (‘Mark Twain’), Life on the Mississippi, 393. You take a family that’s able to embam, and you’ve got a soft thing. You can mention sixteen different ways to do it—though there ain’t only one or two ways, when you come down to the BOTTOM FACTS of it—and they’ll take the highest-priced way, every time.
1877. New York Tribune, 17 March. The public has a large interest in the case of the election of Senator Grover [of Oregon]. Curiosity has been on the tiptoe these many weeks to know the BOTTOM FACTS in it.
1888. Omaha World. BOTTOM ROCK. Conductor (on California train some years hence)—‘All out for Pitholeville.’ Real Estate Agent (entering car)—‘Orange groves and appie orchards, two for a penny.’
