devil is in the details

English

Etymology

In allusion to God is in the detail.

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

  (file)

Proverb

(the) devil is in the details

1. (idiomatic) The specific provisions of, or particular steps for implementing, a general plan, policy, or contract may be complicated, controversial, or unworkable.
   • 1965, Newsweek, volume 65, page 173:

     Krupp already has an agreement in principle for the deal, but precise details are still being worked out by Polish officials and a Krupp bargaining team ("The devil is in the details," Beitz says).

   • 1998 December 16, Alain L. Sanders, “Israel: Let the People Speak”, in Time‎^[1], archived from the original on 8 April 2009:

     The country has developed a strong consensus for peace, but the devil is in the details over what concessions should be made.

   • 2023 May 16, Cecilia Kang, quoting Sarah Myers West, “OpenAI’s Sam Altman Urges A.I. Regulation in Senate Hearing”, in The New York Times‎^[2], →ISSN:

     “The devil will be in the details,” said Sarah Myers West, managing director of AI Now Institute, a policy research center.

Usage notes

Detail as a mass noun is also used instead of details:

The devil is in the detail.

Translations

specific provisions of something may be complicated

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 關鍵在細節，細節決定成敗／关键在细节，细节决定成败 (guānjiàn zài xìjié, xìjié juédìng chéngbài)

• Danish: please add this translation if you can
• Dutch: de duivel zit in de details
• Finnish: piru asuu yksityiskohdissa
• French: le diable se cache dans les détails (fr)
• German: der Teufel steckt im Detail
• Greek: ο διάβολος κρύβεται στις λεπτομέρειες (o diávolos krývetai stis leptoméreies)
• Hungarian: az ördög a részletekben rejlik
• Italian: il diavolo è nei dettagli, il diavolo si nasconde nei dettagli
• Japanese: 悪魔は細部に宿る
• Polish: diabeł tkwi w szczegółach (pl)
• Portuguese: o diabo mora nos detalhes
• Romanian: teoria ca teoria, dar practica ne omoară, socoteala de acasă nu se potrivește cu cea din târg, dracu-i în amănunte ascuns.
• Russian: гла́дко бы́ло на бума́ге, да забы́ли про овра́ги (gládko býlo na bumáge, da zabýli pro ovrági) (rhyme: it was smooth on paper, but the ravines were forgotten)
• Spanish: el diablo está en los detalles
• Swedish: djävulen sitter i detaljerna
• Turkish: şeytan ayrıntıda gizlidir