God in the deatils (1960); No names, no pack-drill (1930)

[Baker, John]

        I think the meaning of the two phrases is pretty close, though not identical.  "God is in the details" is typically applied in artistic contexts (particularly in architecture) and means that great art is achieved through attention to detail.  "The devil is in the details" means that close attention to detail is required to find problems with a complex proposal or arrangement.  I believe that the latter phrase achieved broad popularization in the 1980s in political contexts, particularly with respect to arms control treaties and tax legislation, in both of which areas very close attention indeed to the details is required to find the devil.

John Baker


-----Original Message-----
From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU]On Behalf
Of Jonathan Lighter
Sent: Tuesday, January 25, 2005 5:29 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: God in the deatils (1960); No names, no pack-drill (1930)


So "God is in the details" means exactly the opposite.

If there is an opposite.

JL

Wilson Gray <wilson.gray at RCN.COM> wrote:
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Sender: American Dialect Society
Poster: Wilson Gray
Subject: Re: God in the deatils (1960); No names, no pack-drill (1930)
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On Jan 25, 2005, at 2:31 PM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
> -----------------------
> Sender: American Dialect Society
> Poster: Jonathan Lighter
> Subject: Re: God in the deatils (1960); No names, no pack-drill
> (1930)
> -----------------------------------------------------------------------
> --------
>
> The version with "devil" is so common that the "God" version becomes
> much more fascinating.
>
> JL

But what does it mean? I've always assumed that the "devil" version
means something like, "a good opening sentence, in and of itself, does
not the Great American Novel make." I.e., bringing an idea to fruition
is no easy task.

-Wilson