Excessively precise (10) Crossword Clue
Answer: PERNICKETY (10 letters)
The answer to the crossword clue "Excessively precise" with 10 letters is "PERNICKETY". Pernickety refers to someone who is excessively fussy or overly concerned with small details, often to the point of being difficult or annoying. This term is used to describe a person who insists on things being done in an overly precise or meticulous manner, often making situations unnecessarily complicated.
Why “Pernickety” Fits
The clue asks for a 10-letter word meaning “excessively precise.” The answer, PERNICKETY, fits neatly:
- Excessively precise: "Pernickety" means fussily or overly attentive to small details, describing someone who is hard to please because they are meticulous to a fault in matters of neatness, accuracy, or procedure.
- Strong connotation: The word carries a sense of nitpicking or exacting standards beyond what is necessary, often leading to being viewed as fussy or difficult.
This colorful adjective fits the clue’s demand for a term that goes beyond normal precision.
“Pernickety” is a word with personality and history:
- Origin: The word comes from Scottish English, first recorded in the late 19th century, and is sometimes known in American English as “persnickety.” Both forms mean the same thing, but “pernickety” is more standard in British usage.
- Usage: “She’s pernickety about her workspace.” “A pernickety editor catches even the tiniest grammatical slip.” The term is applied to people, processes, and standards where over-attention to minutiae is a defining trait.
- Variants: "Pernickety" and "persnickety" are interchangeable, though crosswords in the UK typically use “pernickety.”
“Pernickety” bridges the clue’s requirements for fussiness, detail, and a touch of exasperation.
In quick crosswords, clues like “excessively precise (10)”:
- Direct you to adjectives ending in “-y” that convey a quality—“pernickety,” “meticulous,” “fastidious.”
- The answer length (10) and rare letter combinations make "pernickety" stand out among possible options.
- Clues with qualifiers like “excessively” point to words with stronger-than-average intensity.
Spotting the combination of a long, distinctive adjective and context about detail obsession leads quickly to “pernickety.”
