The Devil is in the Details

A Common Idiom

A common idiom used in American culture (and a few others) is: “The Devil is in the details.” Interestingly, this idiom has changed greatly from its original meaning, being a derivative of the idiom “God is in the details” which was a positive description of the great intricacy of creation. Its meaning today, however, has become a negative, implying that if one ignores the details, difficulty or problems are likely to occur.