What does the expression ‘nailed it' mean?

The Hindu

09-06-2025

'Was Rajeev angry that you didn't manage to get tickets to the IPL final?'
'Ten years ago, he might have been. But nowadays, he doesn't worry about such things. When I gave him the news, he didn't turn a hair. In fact, he was…'
'He wouldn't have been able to do that even if he wanted to. Being completely bald, he wouldn't have been able to turn a hair!'
'You have a point there! Do you know what the expression 'not turn a hair' means?'
'Does it mean not react to some bad piece of news?'
'Very good! You remain calm after receiving really bad news.'
'In other words, you show no emotion — no fear, surprise or distress. You remain cool under pressure.'
'Exactly! It's as if you are unaffected by the news. Here is an example. When I informed my boss that the prices of the shares were plummeting, he didn't turn a hair.'
'When Income Tax officials and the police walked into the house, Amrit didn't turn a hair.'
'That's pretty unusual. Usually, in such situations, Amrit loses her cool.'
'She's famous for her temper, but this time around, she maintained her cool. Maybe she was expecting the raid.'
'Possible. When we told Sowmya the price we paid for the car, we thought she would rant and rave. She didn't turn a hair.'
'While we're on the subject of Sowmya, doesn't she have a big interview coming up later this week?'
'You must be getting old, my friend. The interview was last week.'
'Really? Oh my god! I usually wish her before an important interview. This time, I completely forgot. Any idea how she did?'
'You're talking about Sowmya. As far as the interview is concerned, she nailed it.'
'Nailed it? What are you talking about? How can anyone nail an interview?'
'In native varieties of English, the expression 'nailed it' is frequently used in informal contexts. It has several different meanings. When you perform a task exceptionally well, then you can say that you nailed it. Here's an example. During rehearsals, he kept singing out of tune. But when he performed in front of the judges, he nailed the song.'
'Meaning, he sang the song exceptionally well.'
'That's right! It was perfect and the judges were…'
'How about this example? I was looking at the audience while Bharath was making his presentation. From the looks on their face, I knew that he had nailed it.'
'Excellent example! While we're on the subject of presentations, when do you make yours?'
'On Friday. I'll be taking the train to Pune on Wednesday.'
'I see. I thought you'd be flying. Which train are you going by?
'The one that leaves at 11 at night. That way, I can enter the train and go to sleep immediately. Early next morning, I'm in Pune.'
'That's true. By the way, you don't usually say 'enter a train'. One usually 'gets on' a train or 'boards' a train.'
'Unlike many people in our country, I'm seldom in a hurry to board a train.'
'I wait for others to get on. I'm usually the last one to get on.'
'Sensible thing to do.'
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