the nose knows
- idiom
- Informal
:
el instinto no falla
- You should trust that the nose knows when something feels off.
Examples
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Sometimes, you just have to trust that the nose knows when faced with a difficult decision.
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Whenever he senses trouble, he always says, 'the nose knows!'
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She ignored everyone's advice and trusted that the nose knows about the new project.
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Trust me, the nose knows!
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Sometimes you just need to remind yourself that the nose knows when something feels wrong.
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In unfamiliar situations, always remember that the nose knows; your instincts can guide you.
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Trusting your instincts is essential; often, the nose knows what your mind cannot see.
Synonyms
159
4.7
A guess based on a feeling rather than facts
1
7.1
A natural ability to know what to do or say without making mistakes
Act on a feeling that something is right without checking facts
A deep natural feeling that something is true without proof
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal combination of 'nose' (sense organ/ability to detect) and 'knows' (is aware) gives a clear cue that it refers to sensing or perceiving, so learners can infer something about detection. However, the leap from physical smelling to the abstract idea of reliable intuition/instinct is metaphorical and somewhat idiomatic, so the precise meaning (trustworthy instinct about something suspicious) is not fully predictable without exposure.
Etymology
The nose knows comes from the simple image of a nose that smells things others miss, like an animal sniffing danger or food. So the saying means 'trust your instinct' because your quick feeling can notice when something is right or wrong.