hit the nail on the head

(v.) To do something perfectly, to give a textbook answer to a question that shows you grasp the concept at hand.

Why does this car not work?


Because it's a ford!


You've hit the nail on the head.

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like a nail in the head

An analogy for obvious. This was originally coined by a pharmacy professor at the UT Health Science Center at San Antonio. The professor was referring to Phineas Gage, a 19th century railroad worker, who suffered a freak accident when an explosion catapulted a large piece of iron through his skull and into his frontal lobes. An injury that was anything but subtle.

Professor: "what's an antibiotic used for?"

Student Bob: "Uh, there is an inhibitory, Uh, upregulation and, Uh half life ..."

Professor: "An antibiotic kills bacteria. Bob, the answer was like a nail in the head and somehow you completely missed it"

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you hit the nail on the head

You are 100% dam right

You dam right, , you hit the nail on the head

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hitting the nail too squarely on the head

Expressing oneself too directly, too plainly, insensitively.

I once considered buying a birthday card for my dad that made fun of his age. My dad was in his late 60's. It portrayed a man in a car looking in a rear-view mirror with a panicked expression, and seeing the Grim Reaper. The message printed on the mirror was, "Objects shown in mirror may be closer than they appear." I thought it was hilarious, but I thought it was "hitting the nail too squarely on the head." It's implication was too direct.

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Nailed it on the head

When your drunk and try to combine nailed it and hit the nail in the head.

Person 1: wsssup man
Person 2: your drunk dude
Person 1: wow you really nailed it on the head with that one
Person 2: your retarted