nit
keep nit
old-fashioned To remain vigilant or carefully watchful (for something or someone); to act as a guard or watch. The gang employed youths from the area to keep nit and give a signal if any police officers arrived. I offered to keep nit at the door, as I had no intention of risking my life in that creepy old house.
See also: keep, nit
nitpicker
Someone who is overly inclined to point out or complain about every flaw they come across (in or about something), no matter how small, petty, or insignificant. Sometimes hyphenated or spelled as two separate words. You might write me off as just a nitpicker, but you'll appreciate it when you get an A+ on this paper. This is why I hate going to the movies with nit-pickers like you. Instead of just enjoying what we watch, you have to criticize every little flaw you can think of!
nitpicking
An act or instance of pointing out or complaining about every flaw that one comes across (in or about something), no matter how small, petty, or insignificant. Sometimes hyphenated. You might disregard my points as just nitpicking, but you'll appreciate it when you get an A+ on this paper. This is why I hate going to the movies with you. Instead of just enjoying what we watch, you spend the whole time nit-picking!
pick nits
To look for and point out small, trivial, or insignificant problems, issues, or faults to criticize; to nitpick. I know I'm picking nits, but the color of your character's bandana changes slightly about three times over the course of the movie—it was really distracting! Look, your essay was really strong and very well put together on the whole. I'm just picking nits so that you can polish your next essay to an even higher standard.
See also: nit, pick
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
pick nits
If someone picks nits, they point out small, unimportant problems or faults in something. If I had to pick nits, I'd say the service could be a little quicker. That aside, it was pretty much perfect. Note: The verb nitpick has a similar meaning, and there is also a much more frequent noun nitpicking. The critics, of course, nitpick — that's what they do. The book was the subject of seemingly endless academic nitpicking. Note: Nits are the sticky eggs laid by the head louse, a small insect that lives and breeds in human hair.
See also: nit, pick
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
keep nit
keep watch or act as a guard. AustralianNit here is possibly an alteration of nix , a warning signal by schoolchildren that a teacher is approaching.
See also: keep, nit
pick nits
look for and criticize small or insignificant faults or errors.The image here is of the painstaking removal of tiny parasitic nits (lice or lice eggs) from someone's hair. The phrase originated in the mid 20th century, chiefly in North American usage.
See also: nit, pick
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
nit-picker
n. a person who is hypercritical. Mary is such a nit-picker!
nit-picking
n. too much minor criticism; overly particular criticism; nagging. Enough nit-picking! What are the major problems?
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions
pick nits
To find fault in a petty way; nitpick.
See also: nit, pick
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition.
nitpicker
Someone who bothers with tiny, trivial, unimportant details, in effect looking for mistakes. “Nit” alludes to the tiny eggs of the louse. The term dates from the mid-1900s.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
- keep nit
- keep cave
- keep eye out
- keep (one's) eye(s) out (for something or someone)
- keep (one's) eye(s) open (for someone or something)
- keep eyes
- keep one's eyes open
- keep your eyes open
- keep your eyes open/peeled/skinned
- skinned