IdiomAnimals
Portuguese
PortugueseAcertar na mosca
Meaning: To be exactly right; to hit the bullseye.
Literally: To hit the fly
Example: “Ela acertou na mosca quando disse que o problema era a bateria.” — She hit the nail on the head when she said the battery was the problem.
English equivalent: To hit the nail on the head
Origin: In target shooting the mosca (fly) is the small circle at the very center of the target, as the Infopédia dictionary defines it. Hitting the fly is hitting dead center, and so being exactly right. French has the same image in faire mouche, recorded from the 19th century.
Equivalents in other languages
German: Den Nagel auf den Kopf treffen Literally: To hit the nail on the head
English: hit the nail on the head
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