(Hit the Nail on the Head is an annoying business term and is just one of the 212 Most Annoying Business Phrases Managers Effuse, Confuse, and Overuse detailed in the hilarious must-have guide for every workplace: The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room. Available right now on Amazon.)

Hit the Nail on the Head

That’s the goal, right? We mean, the goal when hammering is to hit the nail on the head, isn’t it? In fact, isn’t this the most common outcome when hammering?

Even the clumsiest carpenter or do-it-yourself handyman can hit the nail on the head more often than not, right?

Why then is hit the nail on the head such an accomplishment to your annoying manager?

“You hit the nail on the head with that one Josh! Great job!”

Seems the bar is set a little too low in your workplace.

Instead of hit the nail on the head, why not “ate the sandwich” or “pulled up your own pants?” It seems to us that if hitting a nail as designed is an accomplishment worthy of mention, then so should everything from tying your shoes to washing your hands after peeing.

If hit the nail on the head wasn’t such an antiquated idiom, we’d think it was the result of the participant trophy culture we’ve created in the last few decades.

The annoyance factor with this one is multiplied by its overuse and its multiple meanings.

Was Josh correct about something? Did he complete a task properly? Does our annoying boss just like saying hit the nail on the head? Do we wish Josh really had a hammer and our manager’s head was a nail?

We can dream, can’t we?

Replacement phrases: Correct; Complete

See also: Par for the Course

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The 30,000-Pound Gorilla in the Room is available on Amazon