| 单词 | to drive the nail |
| 释义 | > as lemmasto drive the centre (also cross, nail) P5. U.S. to drive the centre (also cross, nail): to hit the centre of a target; to make a perfect shot. Now rare.figurative in quot. 1892. ΚΠ 1775 Virginia Gaz. 7 Sept. One of the men took the board, and placing it between his legs, stood with his back to the tree, while another drove the center. 1831 J. J. Audubon Ornithol. Biogr. I. 293 Those [marksmen] who drive the nail have a further trial amongst themselves. 1835 A. B. Longstreet Georgia Scenes 276 He was very confident of..driving the cross with her [sc. a gun]. 1892 ‘M. Twain’ Amer. Claimant xviii. 170 You've hit it; you've driven the centre; you've plugged the bull's-eye of my dream. 1952 Rec. Herald (Waynesboro, Pa.) 1 Nov. 2/1 After a preliminary wobble, the reckless marksman blazed away and drove the nail, and won! to drive the nail (in) (to the head) c. to drive the nail (in) (to the head) (also to drive the nail home): to pursue a matter to its conclusion; to clinch an argument; to make a strong impression on the mind. Similarly to clinch a nail, to beat the nail back, and variants. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > completing > complete or conclude action [verb (intransitive)] > push a matter to a conclusion to clinch a nailc1460 to drive the nail (in) (to the head)c1460 to pin the basketa1659 to drive the nail home1690 the mind > attention and judgement > testing > refutation, disproof > confound, confute [phrase] bray1535 to beat the nail back1581 to nail (a fact, information, etc.) to the counter1842 to nail a lie (also charge, etc.)1843 to sew up one's stocking1859 to knock galley-west1875 to knock the bottom out of1875 to shoot down in flames1943 c1450 C. d'Orleans Poems (1941) 13 (MED) He seide me, ‘nay, sett there a nayle; Speke me no more therof.’] c1460 (?c1400) Tale of Beryn 3464 (MED) When Geffrey had a-spied they were in such þouȝt..Hym list to dryv in bet þe nayll til they wer fully cloyid. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cclxxviijv Let hym haue a respect to him selfe and his chyldren..and dryue not the nayle to the head. 1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) ii. 96 That fellow could not be without a reply to beate backe the nayle againe. 1631 S. Jerome Arraignem. Whole Creature iv. 22 To drive this naile further to the very head: reflexing more fully on the Prodigals huskes. 1690 Def. Dr. Walker 6 But to drive the Nail home, take the Testimonial of Gervase Squire, Esq. 1711 J. Anderson Countrey-man's Let. to Curat 83 Which drives the Nail to the Head. a1774 A. Tucker Light of Nature Pursued (1777) III. i. 34 To gain any success, we must proceed with discretion.., driving the nail that will go. 1830 J. Galt Lawrie Todd I. ii. ii. 100 He was..brisk at a bargain, so the nail was soon driven. 1897 F. Barrett Harding Scandal xiv He must drive the nail right home. 1958 Listener 28 Aug. 319/3 Our local radiophonicists..have too often seized upon noise in the higher octaves to drive home dramatic nails. 2000 Boston Globe (Nexis) 20 Feb. (Books section) l1 The manner in which a courtship is foisted upon him..suggests the societal misogyny that must have made it a bit more tempting for Kikutani to drive those nails home. < as lemmas |
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