What is "Brass Tax"?

Answer 1

Brass tacks is an object used in the popular expression "get down to brass tacks". The expression usually means clearing out confusing details and finding out the real facts about something. The etymology of the expression likely has roots in the way fabric manufacturers used to mark out a yard in tacks on the counter so customers could buy their fabric accordingly.

In the 1860's the US government issued boots for soldiers that were constructed using brass tacks to hold the leather soles on to the bottoms of their boots. As the boots wore down, the tacks would protrude through the sole and in to the bottom of the soldier's feet. 'Brass tacks' could mean to get to the absolute bottom of things in reference to shoes.

Answer 2

the words are "brass tacks"..
Getting down to the brass tacks means you are into the fine finishing details of something. The brass tacks hold things together and make a finished product. The product can be something tangible or intangible.
If you are going on a vacation, getting down to the brass tacks might be buying the tickets that get you exactly where you want to be and at what time and what day, and packing the clothes would be packing exactly what is needed for each day and each activity that you will be doing.
the original brass tacks were carpenters or upholsterers tacks that were used to finish furniture. If they are used right the item is well made, durable and beautiful.

Answer 3

I'm going to play psychic for a moment here, and guess that this exchange with your friend took place in print, probably through e-mail, since "brass tax" certainly sounds just like "brass tacks" when spoken aloud. Am I right or am I right? Eat your heart out, Kreskin.

You are indeed correct about the proper phrase being "get down to brass tacks," meaning to seriously concentrate on basic facts, but beyond that I'm afraid my crystal ball gets a little murky. We do know that "brass tacks" first appeared in the late 1800's, but there are a number of theories as to where it came from and what role, if any, real brass tacks played in its origin.

Probably the most popular theory about "brass tacks" traces the phrase back to old general stores, where fabric was sold by the yard. It is said that brass tacks were driven into the counters of such stores exactly one yard apart to aid in measuring the fabric, supposedly leading to the saying "Don't guess, get down to brass tacks."

Another theory traces the phrase to the brass tacks used in 19th century furniture manufacture. In this scenario, "getting down to brass tacks" would mean judging the basic soundness of a chair, for instance, rather than its upholstery.

While neither of those theories is implausible, I, in my psychic wisdom, lean toward a third explanation. "Brass tacks," many authorities believe, began as Cockney rhyming slang for "facts." Rhyming slang, which sprang from the 19th century London underworld, substitutes one or two rhyming words for the concealed "real" word ("trouble and strife" for "wife" being the standard example).