What Does It Mean to 'Hit the Nail on the Head'?

And now Words and Their Stories from VOA Learning¹ English!

On this program we explore the meaning of words and expressions in the English language.

Today we talk about a saying that comes from the world of carpentry.

Two of the most basic tools for building things are a hammer and nail. With them, you can build many wooden structures from a house to a piece of furniture to a picture frame².

For the nail to go into the wood, you must hit the nail on the flat part at the very top. This is called the head. If you miss, you might damage the wood or injure yourself.

So, our expression for today is "to hit the nail on the head."

We use it several ways.

When you hit the nail on the head, you got something exactly right. In other words, you were correct. Here is an example:

Hey, remember when you told me that Bob would not last long at his new job?

Yeah, that was last week. I got the feeling from him that he was not enjoying the work.

Well, you hit the nail on the head. He just texted me that he quit his job.

Hitting the nail on the head can also mean you have understood or expressed something perfectly³. For example, you could say that "the reporter hit the nail on the head in her explanation of current budget debates in the city."

If you have hit the nail on the head, you have also described a situation accurately⁴. That situation can be either good or bad. Here is another example:

How was your camping trip?

It was amazing! I haven't had that much fun outdoors in ... forever!

Wonderful! Didn't Stacy suggest the campground you visited?

Yes! She said it was heaven with lots of outdoor activities. And she really hit the nail on the head! We stayed for four days and loved every minute!

So, if you are totally right about something; if you describe something perfectly; if you find the exact answer; or if you do or say the right thing – you have hit the nail on the head!

Word experts claim that by the time Henry David Thoreau used the expression in 1849, it was already a commonly used one. In A Week on the Concord⁵ and Merrimack Rivers, he wrote this:

"The poet will prevail⁶ to be popular in spite⁷ of his faults, and in spite of his beauties too. He will hit the nail on the head, and we shall not know the shape of his hammer. He makes us free of his hearth⁸ and heart, which is greater than to offer one the freedom of a city."

And that's all the time we have for this Words and Their Stories.

Words in This Story

carpentry – n. the skill or work of building or repairing wooden things

frame – n. an open case or structure for holding or enclosing⁹ something : window frame, picture frame

accurately – adv. without mistakes or errors

campground – n. the area or place (such as a field or grove) used for a camp, for camping, or for a camp meeting

prevail – v. to succeed in convincing : to win against opposition¹⁰

hearth – n. a brick, stone, or concrete area in front of a fireplace

1 learning   

n.学问，学识，学习；动词learn的现在分词

参考例句：

• When you are learning to ride a bicycle,you often fall off.初学骑自行车时，常会从车上掉下来。
• Learning languages isn't just a matter of remembering words.学习语言不仅仅是记些单词的事。

2 frame   

n.框架，结构，体格；vt.构成，设计，制定，使适合，陷害； 框架，（是指在数据链路层中，将网络层数据包加上开始与结尾信息包组成一个框架）

参考例句：

• The house has a wooden frame which is faced with brick.这个房子是木质结构的砖瓦房。
• We must frame up that picture.我们必须给那幅画装上框。

3 perfectly   

adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The witnesses were each perfectly certain of what they said.证人们个个对自己所说的话十分肯定。
• Everything that we're doing is all perfectly above board.我们做的每件事情都是光明正大的。

4 accurately   

adv.准确地，精确地

参考例句：

• It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。
• Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

5 concord   

n.和谐；协调

参考例句：

• These states had lived in concord for centuries.这些国家几个世纪以来一直和睦相处。
• His speech did nothing for racial concord.他的讲话对种族和谐没有作用。

6 prevail   

vi.流(盛)行；获胜，占优势；劝说，诱使

参考例句：

• Can you prevail on him to go?你能说服他走吗？
• I do hope he will prevail over the rebels.我确实希望他能战胜叛乱者。

7 spite   

n.（用于短语）虽然，不顾，尽管

参考例句：

• He has modern ideas in spite of his great age.尽管他年事很高，但思想观念却很入时。
• In spite of his anger,his remarks were restrained.他尽管生气，说的话还是有节制的。

8 hearth   

n.壁炉炉床，壁炉地面

参考例句：

• She came and sat in a chair before the hearth.她走过来，在炉子前面的椅子上坐下。
• She comes to the hearth,and switches on the electric light there.她走到壁炉那里，打开电灯。

9 enclosing   

v.（用墙、篱笆等）把…围起来( enclose的现在分词 )；把…装入信封；附入；（尤指墙、篱笆等 ）围住

参考例句：

• I am enclosing my curriculum vitae together with my photograph. 随函附上履历表和近照。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• One of the walls enclosing the park is decorated with a huge mural showing Hollywood stars. 公园的一堵围墙上装饰着好莱坞明星的巨幅壁画。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。