# rivet counter

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/rivet-counter
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A person who has an obsession with the minutiae of their particular interest, especially in military and technology history. Anyone preoccupied with small distinguishing features between different items.

## Examples

- He is a total rivet counter when it comes to old airplanes.
- The online forum was full of rivet counters arguing about the exact shade of paint used on the tank.
- While the casual historian enjoyed the documentary, the rivet counters spent the entire evening pointing out minor inaccuracies in the equipment shown on screen.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.