Hitting the nail on the head!

[MyDigitalpoint]

First time I heard that someone hit the nail on the head I had to figure out first what is a nail's head and how painful could be!  :grin:

While I actually know the meaning of this idiom, I was just wondering what do you think of this particular phrase?

[LauraM]

It's a great idiom, I think.  It is so vivid, and as such really captures the meaning, which is to do something precisely or with precision.  That's exactly what "hitting a nail on the head" means in the literal sense; if you're hammering nails and you miss, you wind up with a useless nail.  So you have to go back and make sure it's hammered correctly. 

[linguaholic]

oh, I didn't know that you use this one in English as well. We have it in German too: "Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen"It's a pretty common one in German.

[pandandesign]

That's what I initially thought too. I think it has its unique way of explaining in different types of writings. It's also another way to explain other than knowing the literal meaning of the sentence. This is the reason in which I have found English is a fascinating language to learn and know about. Thanks for sharing!

[Banister]

I remember a time in High school when our English teacher had asked a question and nobody seemed to know it then from nowhere I come with the answer the teacher congratulated me by first mentioning that I had hat the nail on the head. I struggled to ask him what he meant but I feared the laughter that could come from my mates if I asked such a question. Then after sometime I went myself to the teacher and asked him personally. I couldn’t imagine of its meaning. It really amazed me.

[Baburra]

I think it's a great idiom and it encompasses the whole range of emotion that comes with the statement. Granted, like most sayings, it isn't really technically sound since it begs the question of "where else would you hit the nail?", but this detail is not as important as the idea it conveys is done very well anyway.

[SpiralArchitect]

Ah, this is an interesting one but then again if you don't hit the nail on the head, the nail is quite useless. As for the nail's head, well it's the part where you hit it, the round end and not the sharp one.