You hit the nail on the coffin

This jumble involves the word nail and perhaps vampires?  It is a mash up of “hit the nail on the head” (to get exactly right) and “the final nail in the coffin” (an event that ultimately leads to the failure of a situation or event that has already begun to fail).  Also in the mix is probably “another nail in the coffin” (something that will harm or destroy someone – e.g., cigarette).  Certainly the common word “nail” is the culprit here, but also the phrases conjure up the image of hitting a nail on something.  For me, the image of the wooden stake (nail?) being driven in the heart of a vampire might be adding to the mix-up.   A big thank you to Lou Holtzman,  who heard this from a co-worker and immediately send it to Malaphor Central.  That was the right thing to do, Lou; otherwise you would have forgotten it, as the best malaphors are fleeting thoughts.

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2 Comments on “You hit the nail on the coffin”

  1. idioms says:

    It was quite interesting to learn about this phrase, this is probably one of the most scaring phrases in English. Thank you.
    Lilly

  2. […] You hit the nail on the coffin (malaphors.com) […]


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