Elbow grease

[0929] Fine-tooth comb

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English Idioms
All Idioms

Explanation

  • To examine something very meticulously, carefully, and in great detail, often looking for errors, problems, or specific information.
  • Usually used in the phrase go over/through [something] with a fine-tooth comb.

Origin

  • Literal. A fine-tooth comb has teeth that are very close together.
  • Such combs were originally designed for removing very small things from hair, like lice, nits (lice eggs), or dirt particles.
  • The meticulous, thorough nature of this task led to the metaphorical use of the phrase for any detailed examination, starting around the early 20th century.

Synonyms & Related Expressions

  • Examine closely / meticulously / thoroughly.
  • Scrutinize.
  • Inspect carefully.
  • Pour over. (Examine closely, especially text)
  • Nitpick. (Focusing on tiny, often insignificant details, sometimes implies excessive criticism)
  • Leave no stone unturned. (Investigate every possibility)

Alternatives

Slang/Informal:

  • Go over it with a microscope.
  • Sweat the details. (Focus intently on small details)
  • Dot the i's and cross the t's. (Be meticulous, especially with paperwork)
  • Check it inside out.

Vulgar/Emphatic (Often implies aggressive scrutiny or finding fault):

  • Tear it apart. (Critically examine)
  • Go through that shit line by line.

Milder/Standard:

  • Review meticulously.
  • Conduct a detailed analysis.
  • Perform a thorough inspection.
  • Scrutinize.

Situational Appropriateness

  • Appropriate in informal, semi-formal, and formal contexts.
  • Common in situations involving proofreading, editing, auditing, investigations, quality control, or any task requiring high attention to detail.

Misunderstanding Warnings

  • Explain the origin relating to a real comb. Clarify it's used metaphorically for any very detailed examination, not just hair.

Examples

  • The auditors went over the company's accounts with a fine-tooth comb.
  • Before submitting the report, she went through it with a fine-tooth comb to catch any typos.
  • Police are going over the crime scene with a fine-tooth comb.

Dialogue

Editor: Have you finished reviewing the manuscript?

Assistant: Almost. I'm going over the final chapter with a fine-tooth comb right now, checking all the references and citations one last time.

Editor: Excellent. We can't afford any mistakes in this publication. Let me know if you spot anything.

Social Media Examples

  • Tweet: Spent the afternoon going over my thesis draft with a fine-tooth comb. Eyesight officially blurry. 😵 #PhDLife #editing #details
  • LinkedIn Post: Our QA team goes over every line of code with a fine-tooth comb before release, ensuring top quality for our users. #QualityAssurance #SoftwareDevelopment

Response Patterns

  • Good, we need to be thorough.
  • Did they find anything?
  • That sounds like a lot of work.
  • Let me know what you discover.
  • Acknowledgment of the carefulness involved.

Common Follow-up Questions/Actions

After mentioning going over something with a fine-tooth comb:

  • People usually ask about the results of the examination: What did you find?, Any issues?
  • The action following is often reporting the findings or making corrections based on the detailed review.

Conversation Starter

  • No.
  • Describes the process of examination within a conversation.

Intonation

  • Stated with an emphasis on thoroughness and detail.
  • Emphasis on FINE-TOOTH COMB. Often stresses over or through as well. They went OVER it with a FINE-TOOTH COMB.

Generation Differences

  • Widely understood and used across generations.

Regional Variations

  • Common in all major English-speaking regions.
Elbow grease
🎲 Fly off the handle