Is the word "finicky" appropriate to describe fine, important, details, that may escape the inattentive eye?
In the sentence:
In case you learned the language, you may be interested in these finicky details, as they often go unnoticed by the untrained or inattentive eye.
Consider we're talking about fine-grained detail about a language, which may escape a less experienced person's grasp (like the connotation of finicky does to me, as a non-native speaker).
Now, consider as well that the detail - despite seemingly trivial - might be or become interesting to look into, although it is often ignored. E.g, dialectal word usage specific to your town, that a foreigner will pick a 100% in its normal sense.
Also take into account that my question comes from the apparently disparate connotations I found in the dictionaries. See:
Oxford Learner's Dictionary
- (disapproving) too worried about what you eat, wear, etc.; disliking many things
- needing great care and attention to detail
Merriam-Webster
- extremely or excessively particular, exacting, or meticulous in taste or standards
My teacher is finicky about spelling.
- requiring much care, precision, or attentive effort
a finicky recipe
[disapproval] Even the most finicky eater will find something appetizing here.
So it appears to me that there are a neutral and a disapproving connotation.
I also found the similar fussy, fastidious, exacting and to a lesser extent dainty, among others. All had definitions that seemed to imply an actor rather than an object, mostly with a disapproving connotation.
In my phrase, I am concerned whether 'finicky' doesn't feel neutral. I'm also interested in alternatives that fit this context.
Thanks.
Solution 1:
For the average reader, Tiny details
For the advanced reader, the way you have it sort of works. finicky However, I prefer your own suggestion better; Fine-Grained Details