# What does ‘hit the nail on the head’ mean?

To “hit the nail on the head” means to identify a point exactly. Brewer's records this as an old English proverb, in print by the 16th century.

## What it means

- Brewer's records this as an old English proverb, in print by the 16th century.

## Action steps

1. Warm compliment for a precise observation.
2. Example: You hit the nail on the head with that analysis.

## Sources

- [Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898) — Internet Archive scan](https://archive.org/details/brewers-dictionary-of-phrase-and-fable)

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