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dot the i's and cross the t's. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
dot the i's and cross the t's, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
dot the i's and cross the t's in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
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English
Etymology
In reference to cursive (joined up) writing, where adding the dot to the letter i and the crossbar to the letter t is done after one reaches the end of the word and thus may be forgotten if one is not being careful.
Pronunciation
Verb
dot the i's and cross the t's (third-person singular simple present dots the i's and crosses the t's, present participle dotting the i's and crossing the t's, simple past and past participle dotted the i's and crossed the t's)
- (idiomatic) To take care of every detail, even minor ones; to be meticulous or thorough; to finish off something close to complete.
Before taking the project to the CEO, let's make sure we dot the i's and cross the t's.
- 1858, United States Congress, Abridgment of the Debates of Congress, from 1789 to 1856, D. Appleton, page 387; from a January 1820 debate
Pray, sir, what is the object of referring a bill to a committee —merely to dot the i's and cross the t's?
Translations
Take care of every detail
See also