on the nail

1. Immediately, without delay, as in He paid us back on the nail . [c. 1600]

2. Under discussion or consideration, as in The subject of the budget deficit has been on the nail for some time . [Late 1800s] The precise allusion in these expressions has been lost. Neither has any connection to hit the nail on the head (see under hit the bull's-eye ).

Example Sentences

It’s well-known that when the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail; the relationship eventually takes its toll on the nail, too.

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Ohtani had a small crack on the nail of his middle finger heading into his start against the Chicago White Sox on June 27.

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But it felt a little too hammer on the nail.

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Is the UV light on the nail drier at the salon a problem?

Read more on Washington Post

But as Reynolds explained, with a smile on his face and a smiley face painted on the nail of his middle finger, the American export of skateboarding — as a sport and a culture — is global.

Read more on New York Times

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