What it means
Means accepting something in its real state, flaws, ugly bits and all, instead of pretending it's polished or perfect. You use it for people, places, plans, stories, whatever, when the point is you're taking the whole package, not just the shiny front bit. It can also mean telling the truth straight, without airbrushing the embarrassing parts.
Usage examples
"I know the flat’s a bit ropey, and the boiler’s dodgy, but it’s home, warts and all, so stick the kettle on."
"I love this old town warts and all, the dodgy bits are part of its charm."
"He told us the whole story warts and all, even the parts that made him look bad."
"Yeah, the pub's a bit scruffy and the toilets are tragic, but it's ours, warts and all."
"If you're doing the documentary, do it warts and all. Don't cut out the bits where it all went pear-shaped."
Where it comes from
It’s long tied to Oliver Cromwell through a well-known story that he told a portrait painter to show him plainly, "warts and all", with no flattering touch-up job. Historians don’t treat that exact quote as fully nailed on, but the phrase has carried that blunt, unvarnished meaning for ages.
Editors of this term
Little Wish Sower Official watcher of this expression
Tell me, what have you got for me?