Question

Put your finger on it If you put your finger on something, it means that you can identify the reason for something or realize the exact cause of a problem.If you can’t put your finger on something, you can’t explain something exactly. “Dr Watson couldn’t think of any motive for the crime. But Sherlock Holmes put his finger on it straight away!”“I saw Sally at the shops yesterday. There was something different about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.”

Accepted Answer

What do you mean? Examples

Metaphor	Put your finger on it
Question Meaning	What do you mean?
Meaning	If you put your finger on something, it means that you can identify the reason for something or realize the exact cause of a problem. If you can’t put your finger on something, you can’t explain something exactly.
Question Example	Examples
Example	“Dr Watson couldn’t think of any motive for the crime. But Sherlock Holmes put his finger on it straight away!” “I saw Sally at the shops yesterday. There was something different about her, but I couldn’t put my finger on it.”

Put Finger Can’t Couldn’t Means Identify Reason Realize