English translation: demonstrated from beginning to end /start to finish
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GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Dutch term or phrase:
van naaldje tot draadje aangetoond
English translation:
demonstrated from beginning to end /start to finish
Explanation: Somehow an idiom tit for tat doesn't come off well here.
"Demonstration" would entail some display of action taking place (as in showing how XXX went to the bank and put in his/her ATM card and transferred the funds to the appropriate account) rather than showing proof of something having been done (handing in copies of bank receipts or bank statements or a list of corresponding payments).
So, I'd perhaps opt for a solution that doesn't include the term "demonstrate".
-------------------------------------------------- Note added at 12 hrs (2009-11-15 12:44:51 GMT) --------------------------------------------------
itemization => providing a list, summarizing the payments, to whom, to what account etc. (perhaps with receipts)
meticulously showing => providing thorough and complete details (not necessarily in list form), which proves to whom, to what account any payments would have been made.
Example sentence(s):
XXX, on the other hand, has given itemized details accounting for all of the payments required in the contract. Total amount remitted is even in excess of what was due.
XXX has meticulously shown that all of the required payments for the contract have been correctly remitted. The totals are even in excess of what was due.
Bryan Crumpler United States Local time: 01:29 Works in field Native speaker of: English
Notes to answerer
Asker: Meticulously is quite nice, and does sound better than "from beginning to end", but I have chosen the latter because it is closer to the source text. Thanks for your input!
Explanation: Van naald tot draad betekent niet noodzakelijk van begin tot einde, maar zeker wel dat alle mogelijke details worden vermeld (impliciet dus meestal wél van begin tot einde, omdat dit de meest volledige manier is om iets te vertellen zonder dingen te vergeten!). In dit geval kan het dus best zijn dat elk puntje uit het contract wordt aangehaald met de genomen actie (oftewel: itemized), dan wel in de volgorde die in het contract wordt bepaald (from start to finish). Maar wel steeds tot in het kleinste detail!
André Linsen Local time: 07:29 Native speaker of: Dutch, French
The translation workplace 
