Containing a lot of gristle; having a tough, chewy texture from cartilage.
From 'gristle' with the adjective suffix '-ly.' The word describes meat that is full of cartilage and difficult to chew.
The phrase 'gristly business' was once used metaphorically to mean a tough, unpleasant task—the discomfort of chewing gristle became a symbol for difficulty itself.
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