on the button


Exactly right, precisely, as in Her review of the book was right on the button, or We're supposed to be there at six o'clock on the button. This term may come from boxing, where a punch on the button means “a punch on the chin.” [Colloquial; c. 1900] Also see on the dot.

Words Nearby on the button

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.