rivet counter
noun1
Idiomatic 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.
- For the rivet-counters, there were 10,036 Lightnings produced, including 113 built by Consolidated-Vultee...1979, A.H.S., “P-38 Lightning at war: book review”, in The AOPA Pilot: Voice of General Aviation, page 99:
- Peter Hodges' survey will certainly be of interest to naval rivet-counters and ship-modellers but, unfortunately, probably to few others.1979, Geoffrey Till, “Destroyer Weapons of World War II: book review”, in The Mariner's Mirror, page 377:
- Related terms
- anorak, trainspotter