little toenail

plural little toenails · alternative little toe nail · alternative little toe-nail

1. The nail of the little toe.

   Treinta balazos en la uña del dedo chiquito del pie izquierdo.

   2011 [2010], Juan Pablo Villalobos, translated by Rosalind Harvey, chapter 1, in Down the Rabbit Hole, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire: And Other Stories, →ISBN, page 8

   3 more examples

   E. W. Hays, Box 636, hit a chair with his foot, knocking his right little toenail loose.

   1966 June 15, “6 Emergencies Get Treatment”, in Corsicana Daily Sun, volume 70, number 290, Corsicana, Tex., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4, column 4

   Bench said he lost both little toenails to foul tips and half of both of his big toenails.

   1977 March 1, Tom McEwen, “On Divorce Proceedings, Salary Desires: Mum’s the Word for [Johnny] Bench”, in The Tampa Tribune, 83rd year, number 50, Tampa, Fla., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 4-C, column 5

   But noooooo! Some wiseacre “expert” will patronizingly explain that because gymnast Kim Zmeskal’s left little toenail was off center by the length of an eyelash, the judges will be forced to dock a tenth of a point from her score.

   1992 August 5, Daniel Ruth, “Failing to nail dismount won’t ruin your life”, in The Tampa Tribune, Tampa, Fla., →ISSN, →OCLC, page 2-BayLife, column 1

2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see little, toenail.

   With his eyes closed, Al could hear her drop the pinecone rhythmically on the tile, chock chock chock chock, the bass, her little toenails clicking a tune around it. Didn’t he deserve a really big horse?

   2000 April 6, Jane Smiley, “Jack Russell”, in Horse Heaven, New York, N.Y.: Alfred A. Knopf, →ISBN, page 13