IdiomDaily Life
English
Englishcash on the nail
Meaning: Payment made immediately.
Example: “The dealer wants cash on the nail, no checks.”
Origin: British English from the 16th century. A popular story links it to bronze pillars ("nails") outside the Bristol exchange where merchants paid, but those pillars are later than the phrase, so the origin is uncertain.
Equivalents in other languages
French: Payer rubis sur l'ongle Literally: To pay ruby on the nail
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