God is in the detail

"God Is in the Details" redirects here. For the Eureka episode, see List of Eureka episodes.

The idiom "God (is) in the detail(s)" expresses the idea that whatever one does should be done thoroughly; i.e. details are important.

Origin

It has been attributed to a number of different individuals, most prominently to German-born architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1969) by The New York Times in Mies' 1969 obituary. However, the expression also appears to have been a favorite of German art historian Aby Warburg (1866-1929), though Warburg's biographer, E.M. Gombrich, is likewise uncertain if it originated with Warburg. An earlier form, "Le bon Dieu est dans le detail" (the good God is in the detail), is generally attributed to Gustave Flaubert (1821-1880). Bartlett's Familiar Quotations lists the saying's author as anonymous.

Variants

Popular variants include "(The / A) Devil (is) in the detail(s)", referring to a catch hidden in the details, and "Governing (is) in the Detail(s)", and "(The) Truth (is) in the Detail(s)".

Though the original form most likely^{[citation needed]} had the expression ending with "detail" (sans -s), colloquial usage often ends the idiom as "details". It should be noted that detail, without the -s, can be used as both a singular and collective noun. Additionally, "the" is often added to the popular variant "Devil in the details" due to the colloquial usage of "'the Devil". Similarly, the form "a devil in the detail" is also common, most often when referencing a specific catch; "is" can also be dropped from the expression.

References

• Bartlett, John, Bartlett's Familiar Quotations: A Collection of Passages, Phrases, and Proverbs Traced to Their Sources in Ancient and Modern Literature, 17th ed., Little, Brown and Company, November 2002
• Titelman, Gregory, Random House Dictionary of Popular Proverbs and Sayings, Random House Reference, March 5, 1996
• Dictionary.com