The most common and most likely answer to this crossword clue is the 12 letter word NITTY-GRITTY
I've seen this crossword clue in The Times
N
I
T
T
Y
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G
R
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T
T
Y
More clues leading to the result NITTY-GRITTY
Buddy explains!
The straight part
We know that "Basic things" is the straight/definition part of the clue. The straight part is often a synonym or definition, in this case basic things = nitty-gritty.The cryptic/wordplay part
In cryptic crossword there's often an wordplay/cryptic part as well.This part involves a more complex hint, such as an anagram, homophone, hidden word, etc.
Sadly, We don't have an explanation for this specific crossword clue yet.
What does NITTY-GRITTY mean?
NITTY-GRITTY noun- (originally United States) The core or essence of something; the details.