(I'd be eternally grateful if someone could identify the originator and tell me the exact phrasing, btw.)

That was Fred Brooks. In chapter nine of the The Mythical Man Month, he wrote, "Show me your flowcharts and conceal your tables, and I shall continue to be mystified. Show me your tables, and I won't usually need your flowcharts; they'll be obvious."

Thanks for asking. It had been too long since I cracked the cover on this classic.

-sauoq
"My two cents aren't worth a dime.";