Shelling down the corn

[twostep]

I had a very pleasant conversation with a gentleman from some british/american trade commission. ... and then he shelled down the corn ...

I suggest it means he came true. A considerable amount of rural Georgia, USA is corn country and corn is very important in daily life When you shell corn (remove the kernels) you come to the core.

[MikeNewYork]

I had a very pleasant conversation with a gentleman from some british/american trade commission. ... and then he shelled down the corn ...

I suggest it means he came true. A considerable amount of rural Georgia, USA is corn country and corn is very important in daily life When you shell corn (remove the kernels) you come to the core.

My guess is it means to "boil down" an issue, to strip away the coverings, to get to the heart/core of an issue.

[twostep]

The humor of it was the user. Prim, propper, british - and then the shelled corn!

How about "mad as a wet hen"? That was me today, when I had to stay after hours.

[MW]

Also "separate the wheat from the chaff."

Get to the nitty gritty, the bottom line.