🗓️ Idiom: A Stickler for Details (noun)
💬 Meaning
- A person who pays very close attention to accuracy or small details.
- Someone who always wants things to be done exactly right.
🧠 Example Sentences
- Karen is a stickler for details, so she checks every invoice before sending it out.
- You can trust him with contracts — he’s a real stickler for details.
- Being a stickler for details can improve quality, but it can also slow down teamwork.
🏛️ Origin
The word stickler comes from the old English word stykelere, which meant a referee or judge who made sure the rules were followed. Over time, it came to describe anyone who insists on strict accuracy or exact standards, especially at work.
📝 Practice Exercises
1. Fill in the blank:
Our project manager is __________; she won’t approve anything with even a small mistake.
Answer
a stickler for details
2. Choose the correct answer:
Someone who is “a stickler for details” usually:
a) Focuses only on the big picture
b) Ignores mistakes
c) Wants everything to be accurate and correct
Answer
c) Wants everything to be accurate and correct
3. Change the sentence using “a stickler for details”:
“She always makes sure every number and word is correct.”
Answer
She’s a stickler for details and always makes sure every number and word is correct.
ℹ️ Other Useful Pages
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👉 Idioms for Different Types of Work Styles
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Rob is a CELTA qualified English teacher with 15 years of international experience. He has a BSc and PGDip from Loughborough and St Andrews universities in the UK. He has taught in Thailand and Saudi Arabia and now works with professionals worldwide.
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