Englishon the nose
Meaning: Exactly.
Example: “The taxi arrived at eight o'clock on the nose.”
Origin: Two rival theories compete for the origin of "exactly right" or "precisely on schedule," and neither is documented conclusively. One reaches for boxing, where the nose is a prime, plainly visible target, so landing a punch "on the nose" meant a clean, direct hit rather than a glancing one. The other points to early radio and television production, where a floor manager who couldn't speak to performers on air would tap a finger against their own nose as a silent signal that the broadcast was running exactly on time. Both share the same underlying sense: something landing exactly where, or exactly when, it was supposed to.
More English idioms
- put one's best foot forward To try to make the best possible impression.
- put one's finger on it To identify or understand something properly.
- put one's foot down To be firm and unyielding about something.
- put one's money where one's mouth is To back up one's words with money or action.
- rack one's brain To search through one's mind intensively; to try very hard to think of something.
- rule of thumb A rough guide; an unwritten or customary rule based on experience or practice.
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