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Spot On
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Why do we say something is 'spot on'.meaning it's dead accurate? What spot was it originally on? Or is it not a phrase taken from some activity but simply an old use of 'spot'?
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I'm certainly not suggesting the above response is wrong, but the word spot, meaning a "small usually roundish mark of a different colour from the main surface" (OED) dates back to the 13th century, which long predates billiards/snooker. In the sense of "a locality of limited extent" (OED) it is of a similar age.
As it happens, the earliest recorded use of the phrase 'spot on' is as recent as 1920 and refers to hitting a military target...ie an exact locality. All-in-all, I'd guess the phrase is just an inversion of 'on the spot'.
As it happens, the earliest recorded use of the phrase 'spot on' is as recent as 1920 and refers to hitting a military target...ie an exact locality. All-in-all, I'd guess the phrase is just an inversion of 'on the spot'.
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