Strange; Unusual. For example,

"I’ve been persuaded that something is hinky, and by God, you can quote me on that. Something is hinky."  - David Letterman discussing the climate crisis.

Pressure or Stress someone. For example,

"Israel to Obama: hold Iran's feet to fire, or else"     - Reuters.com, Feb 6, 2009

At the very end of a race or process. For example,

These two teams are so evenly matched, tomorrow's game should come down to the wire.

To have things in the wrong order. For example,

We don't want to put the cart before the horse. Let's get the charter signed off before starting the project.

The moment of true. The most important point for something. For example,

An athlete can train all day, but the race is where rubber meets the road and they'll know how good they really are.

A person who is almost identical to another. For example,

Joe is a dead ringer for his dad.

Essential and basic; specific details. For example,

After a short overview we'll get into the nitty-gritty of the problem.