Idiom
nail your colours to the mast
Meanings
To publicly declare your allegiance or opinion and commit to it.
Definition
To nail your colours to the mast means to publicly and firmly state which side, opinion, or cause you support.
If you nail your colours to the mast, you make your position clear and commit to it openly. It suggests you are not trying to stay neutral or keep your views hidden. The idiom is often used when someone is pressured to choose a side or is showing strong loyalty to a cause.
Examples
- In the meeting, I decided to nail my colours to the mast and argue for a full redesign.
- Before you nail your colours to the mast, consider how your team will react to the change.
- During the interview, he nailed his colours to the mast by openly criticising the policy.
- On social media, she nailed her colours to the mast and backed the campaign despite the backlash.
- After weeks of hesitation, they nailed their colours to the mast and joined the coalition publicly.
Common mistake
Learners often say "put your colours to the mast" instead of the correct "nail your colours to the mast."
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More idiom (verb phrase)s
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