on the nose prepositional phrase5 •Exact; precise; appropriate.His estimate that they would consume 23 boxes was on the nose.His choice of decor was on the nose, considering the theme of the party. •Unimaginative; overliteral; lacking nuance; unsophisticated.Wearing that floral dress to a garden party was a little on the nose, wouldn't you say? •(slang, figurative) Smelly; malodorous.That bucket of raw prawns you left in the sun is a bit on the nose. •(slang) Being a bet on a horse to finish first.It was three o'clock. They were running the third race at Santa Anita and he had ten bucks on the nose. — 1941 •(slang, no longer used) On the lookout.
