Definition
Past tense of nail, meaning to fasten with nails, or colloquially to perform something perfectly or catch someone in wrongdoing. Successfully accomplished or executed with precision.
Etymology
From Old English 'nægl' (nail, fastener), from Proto-Germanic root. The figurative sense of 'doing perfectly' emerged in American slang around 1970s, from the precision required in carpentry.
Kelly Says
The evolution from literal hammering to figurative success shows how physical craftsmanship metaphors permeate achievement language - we 'nail it', 'hammer out details', and 'build' arguments, suggesting that mental work mirrors manual skill.
Translations
CACatalà
clavat
klah-VAH-t
CSČeština
hřebíkovaný
hreh-BEE-koh-vah-nee
DEDeutsch
genagelt
geh-NAH-gelt
ELΕλληνικά
πηγμένος
peh-gme-nos
ESEspañol
clavado
klah-VAH-thoh
FAفارسی
میخ کوبی
mikh kubi
FISuomi
naulattu
NAH-oo-lah-too
HUMagyar
szögelt
SOH-gelt
IDBahasa Indonesia
paku
pah-KOO
ITItaliano
inchiodato
in-kyoh-DAH-toh
MSBahasa Melayu
paku
pah-KOO
MYမြန်မာ
ဝိညာဉ်လမ်း
win-yan-lan
NLNederlands
gespijkerd
khay-SPAY-kerd
PLPolski
przybity
pshih-BEE-tee
PTPortuguês
pregado
preh-GAH-thoh
RORomână
înfipt
in-FEE-pt
RUРусский
пригвождённый
pree-gvozhyon-niy
SVSvenska
spikad
SPEE-kahd
SWKiswahili
msumariwa
m-soo-MAH-ree-wah
TEతెలుగు
పిట్టబడిన
pittabadiyna
TLTL
pinagpako
pee-nahg-PAH-koh
TRTürkçe
çivilenmiş
CHIH-vee-leh-nish
UKУкраїнська
пригвіздений
pree-hvizdeniy
ZUZU
inkathazo
in-KAH-thah-zoh