to dot the i's and cross the t's
1
5.8
- idiom
- Informal
:
poner los puntos sobre las íes
- Theologians can give us hints of the wording, but it takes a dictator to set them down just right—to dot the i's and cross the t's.
Examples
-
Before submitting the report, you need to dot the i's and cross the t's to ensure everything is accurate.
-
In order to finalize the project, we must dot the i's and cross the t's on all the documentation.
-
The editor took extra time to dot the i's and cross the t's in the manuscript before publication.
Synonyms
To check something carefully before you do it to avoid mistakes
Antonyms
How Thorough
- US
70
6.2
- Informal
1
5.8
202
2.5
15
3.3
- Formal
384
2.6
∞
1.0
299
1.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
dot + the + i + and + cross + the + t's
The phrase literally describes making small finishing marks—putting a dot on the i and crossing the t—which directly signals attending to tiny details; a learner who knows 'dot', 'cross', 'i' and 't' can infer this procedural meaning. The mapping from the literal actions to the notion of careful final checking is straightforward and culturally widely attested in alphabetic writing, so the expression is transparently compositional for B1 learners.
Etymology
The phrase dot the i's and cross the t's comes from handwriting: you make a small dot on the i's and a small cross on the t's to finish each letter. That's why the phrase means 'to pay careful attention to small details', especially when finishing a task.