dot the i's and cross the t's

Idioms  

1. Be meticulous and precise, fill in all the particulars, as in Laura had dotted all the i's and crossed the t's, so she wondered what she'd done wrong. This expression presumably began as an admonition to schoolchildren to write carefully and is sometimes shortened. William Makepeace Thackeray had it in a magazine article (Scribner's Magazine, 1849): “I have . . . dotted the i's.” [Mid-1800s]

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Example Sentences

Still waiting for Mater Dei to dot the i’s and cross the t’s so the St. John Bosco-Mater Dei game can be officially announced for Oct.

From Los Angeles Times

Murphy said afterward that Biden “knows that we’ve got to work out our compromise on our own” and that while he still aimed to strike a deal this week, the Senate may need extra time “to dot the I’s and cross the T’s.”

From Washington Post

When pressed further, Mohammed said authorities and Twitter officials had to "dot the I's and cross the T's" before reaching a final agreement.

From Reuters

“Optum needed to dot the I’s and cross the T’s before — not after — outbidding other networks to serve veterans. V.A. made promises to veterans when it developed these new access standards and now it needs to follow through.”

From New York Times

They can help you dot the i’s and cross the t’s, so to speak, as you wade into the long process of recovery.

From Washington Times