on the nail
idiom

- immediately, without delay

Your Dictionary

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PHRASE ORIGIN

The expression “on the nail”, meaning “on the spot, at once, without delay”, is first recorded in print in 1596. Similar expressions have been recorded in other languages from even earlier, including German and Dutch.

The latin phrase ad ungulum “on the nail”, meaning “to a nicety, to perfection, to the utmost” is found in the 'Satires' of the Roman poet Horace 2000 years ago, and is based on an even older Greek expression. This may allude to a sculptor having created a carving so perfect that running a fingernail over it couldn’t detect any unevenness, or to a carpenter testing the accuracy of a joint.

The US equivalent to “on the nail” is “on the barrel" or "on the barrel head”.

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NAIL IDIOMS

- to nail a lie = etw. als Lüge entlarven.

- to nail an idea (fully understand) = etw. begreifen.

- to nail sth. (accomplish, succeed) = etw. erreichen, schaffen.

- to nail one's colours to the mast = Farbe bekennen.

- to get nailed = festgenommen/geschnappt werden.

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MONEY TALKS

- a penny saved is a penny earned = having money is just as good as earning it.

- break the bank = to spend all of one's money.

- born with a silver spoon in your mouth = to come from a wealthy family.

- bring home the bacon = to earn a living.

- cost an arm and a leg / a pretty penny = to be extremely expensive.

- go Dutch = to split a bill equally.

- have deep pockets = to have a lot of money available.

- filthy rich = extremely rich.

- fork over = to hand over cash.

- funny money = counterfeit money.

- go for a song = get something for very little money.

- look like a million bucks = to describe a woman who appears extremely attractive and stylish.

- make a mint = to make a lot of money (usually very quickly).

- penny-pincher / a tightwad = a person who is frugal or stingy with money.

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SYNONYMS

- for “money”

assets, banknotes, bills, bread and butter, bucks, capital, cash, coin, change, currency, dosh, dough, finances, funds, green, greenbacks, income, loot, lucre, MONEY, moolah, nest egg (savings), peanuts, petty cash, readies, revenue, salary, shekels, spare change, stake, tender, wages, wealth

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SMUGGLE OWAD into an English conversation, say something like:

“I’ll bring some cash so that we can pay ON THE NAIL.”

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