Avere un chiodo fisso
Meaning: To be obsessed with one idea.
Language: Italian
Literally: To have a fixed nail
Category: Daily Life
Origin: A nail driven fast into the mind pictures a single thought that simply will not come loose.
More idioms — Daily Life
- Tirar o pai da forca — Said of something done in frantic urgency.
- Гол как сокол (Gol kak sokol) — Dirt poor; without a thing to your name.
- 石橋を叩いて渡る (Ishibashi o tataite wataru) — To be extremely, even excessively, cautious.
- 釘を刺す (kugi o sasu) — To remind someone firmly so they can't back out.
- 班门弄斧 (bān mén nòng fǔ) — To display feeble skill before a true master.
- 名落孙山 (míng luò Sūn Shān) — To fail an examination.
More Italian idioms
- arrampicarsi sugli specchi — to attempt to defend an indefensible position or grasp at straws.
- per amore o per forza — by any means necessary; whether one wishes it or not.
- mettere radici — to settle in a place permanently or commit to something long-term.
- tirare l'acqua al proprio mulino — to act in self-interest, redirecting resources or advantage to oneself.
- tenere a freno la lingua — to refrain from speaking; to keep silent.
- in pompa magna — with ceremony, grandeur, and great fanfare.