fine print
37
4.4
- noun
- /faɪn prɪnt/
:
letra pequeña
- Before signing the lease, make sure to read the fine print to understand all the fees involved.
- read the fine print
So he read the fine print just like our first fellow.
- So he read the fine print just like our first fellow.
- But there is some fine print on that that is really important.
- You can use your brain to look at the fine print in a contract.
- We do travel through time at the speed of light, but as always, there's some fine print to what exactly this means.
- If, however, it's camouflaged in such a way, then Bank B doesn't see the fine print.
- OK, if personal care products are so safe, then why does the fine print on so many tubes of toothpaste say do not swallow?
- They could push a mortgage in front of you that they knew what it meant to have all of the little twists and turns back in the fine print.
Examples
-
You can use your brain to look at the fine print in a contract.
-
But be prepared to read the fine print carefully before you rush to the polls to reward your representatives.
Academic text (1994) -
But there is some fine print on that that is really important.
-
- Oh my dear boy, always read the fine print.
-
You should have read the fine print.
-
There was never any guarantee except in the fine print buried in an insurance policy.
Blog text (5) -
All this is to say, be sure to read all the fine print before signing up.
Blog text (12) -
Like buying anything, parents and teachers should always investigate thoroughly and read the fine print.
Academic text (2014) -
But Alicia had not read the fine print in this transaction.
Fiction book (1997) -
See, Nutrient Survival is one of the only companies where when you read the fine print, it's actually good news.
Synonyms
5
3.8
Important details in an agreement or document printed in very small type
1
9.3
People print words very small in documents to hide important details
Antonyms
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase combines 'fine' in the sense of small/delicate with 'print' (printed text), yielding the straightforward image of 'small print.' This compositional meaning is cross-linguistically common (e.g., Spanish 'letra pequeña') so a B1 learner who knows both words would readily infer the basic sense, even if the pragmatic nuance about restrictive clauses may require exposure.
Etymology
Fine print comes from contracts where important words were printed in very small writing at the bottom. The words fine meaning small and print meaning writing create a clear image, and because people often miss those lines, fine print now means the 'important or restrictive details' you might overlook.