Meaning:
If something is under your nose then you’re oblivious to it even though it’s right there in front of you.
Example: Jake was trying to hook up a new game console to his television, but it wasn’t working and he couldn’t figure out what the problem was. Little did Jake know that the solution was right under his nose the whole time; the power cord was not plugged in!
(In other words, he was unaware of something that should have been obvious.)
1. Obvious
2. Right in front of you
3. You can’t miss it
The Origin Of ‘Under Your Nose’
As the saying goes, it is right there under your nose! How long have people been using this expression? It is said this phrase dates back to at least the 1500s, but I could not find any examples of it from that time. The earliest I could find it is from the 1600s. For example, the phrase is seen in The Copie of a Letter sent from The Roaring Boyes in Elizium, from the year 1641:
“Can you my worthy hosts sit and see those
That make you weare od money in your hose,
Under your nose triumphing?”
It is common for the word “right” to be inserted in front of this expression. The earliest I could find of ‘right under your nose’ is from the newspaper The Sydney Morning Herald, November 1856:
“‘Well, have you detected my forgery?’ said he, with the greatest coolness, ‘No,’ replied the head expert laughing, ‘for a good reason—you never sent it.’ ‘Why, there it lies right under your nose, the third to the left, and here is the original I took it from.'”
In conclusion, this expression is at least 378 years old. If it goes back to the 1500s as has been reported, then its over 400 years old.
Example Sentences
Here are a few examples of the phrase ‘under your nose’ in a sentence:
- Heather searched her house from top to bottom for her car keys. Later that day, she found them in her jacket pocket; they were right under her nose the whole time.
- My little brother asked me where the pizza cutter was. I told him that it was under his nose, in the utensil drawer.
Similar Examples:
- I asked my niece to grab the TV remote, but she couldn’t find it, so I said, “it’s right in front of you, on the desk.”
- My friend asked to grab a hammer from the tool box on his back porch; he told me the box was yellow so I can’t miss it.
Tip: If you are looking for more popular sayings, well they are right under your… okay that’s enough about this phrase. Know Your Phrase has a list of sayings you can explore. All you have to do to get there is scroll to the top and pick a letter from the menu. It is that easy!