Visual Vocabulary - To Hit the Nail on the Head

source: EnglishAnyone    2016年11月26日
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Today’s expression is “to hit the nail on the head.” This is a very common idiom meaning to do or say something exactly right.
A nail consists of three parts, the point at the end, the long shaft, called the shank, and the head.
When hitting the head of a nail with a hammer, you sometimes don’t strike the nail perfectly, leading the nail to bend or move in a way that makes it difficult to drive into the wood. But when you hit the nail on the head perfectly, the nail slides quickly and easily into the wood.
From this physical idea, we get the figurative idea of doing or saying something perfectly when we “hit the nail on the head.” The “nail” in this case may be an action we perform, or something we say that’s perfect for the situation.

# “To hit the nail on the head” can be used in both professional and casual situations:
A: Tom had a really great idea about how to solve the problem with the product.
B: Yeah! He really hit the nail on the head.

A: Your sister hit the nail on the head when she got a perfect 10 at the gymnastics competition.
B: I know! She’s been practicing for a really long time.

A: What do you think of the idea?
B: You didn’t quite hit the nail on the head, but you’re not far off.

A: I’m a bit worried about my presentation. Are you sure it’s OK?
B: Don’t worry. You’re guaranteed to hit the nail on the head!

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