To hit the nail on the head

Idiom: To hit the nail on the head - get it right, get it, guess correctly, speak (the) truth

Context #1 – Students are in English class

Teacher: OK. Can anyone tell me what the word “affluent” means?

Student 1: To be sick?

Teacher: No, that’s not what it means. Good try, though. Anyone else?

Student 2: To have a lot of money or to be rich. For example, the new US president is very affluent.

Teacher: That’s right! You hit the nail on the head! That is exactly what it means and you gave a good example.

Context #2 – Two friends talking about a couple they know

Sara: Did you hear what Jim said about Winnie and Bill?

Pat: No, what did Jim say?

Sara: He said that Winnie and Bill are getting a divorce!

Pat: What? Jim hit the nail on the head! How could he possibly know that? I didn’t think anyone else knew about it.

Sara: Well, Jim overheard them fighting on Saturday and they must have mentioned it.

Meaning: To hit the nail on the head means get an answer to something correct or to speak the truth. In context 1, the second student answers the teacher's question about what the word means. In context 2, Jim speaks truthfully about his friends getting a divorce.  

http://languagesystems.edu/ 

Cream of the crop

Context #1:

Joe: Have you decided who you're going to hire for the open position in the accounting department?

Sam: Well, I interviewed about 8 people and now I'm down to the cream of the crop. There are 2 people I am still considering, and need to make my final decision by Friday.

Context #2:

Christa: Do you know what you're going to cook for Valentine's Day dinner this year? 

Sally: Well, I had about 5 different recipes I was thinking about, and I've narrowed it down to just 2 of my recipes that are really the cream of the crop.

Meaning: "cream of the crop" is an expression that means "the best of the best."  It is used to describe the very best things out of a group of things that are all pretty good.

http://languagesystems.edu/

Actions speak louder than words

Context #1

Amy: Hey Brian, what time will you pick me for tomorrow’s carpool to school?
Brian: I’ll be there at 9 am sharp.
Amy: Are you sure? Because the last 3 times you were late and we almost missed our first class. I would almost prefer to walk than wait for you again if you’re going to be late.
Brian: I promise. I’ll be on time tomorrow. Trust me.
Amy: Actions speak louder than words. I’ll have to see what you do tomorrow.

Context #2

We have a new American President set to be sworn into office soon. During each campaign season, the candidates make many promises with hopes to gain support and votes from the citizens. It seems that a candidate will often say anything and everything that will get him or her elected, even if they have no intention of doing what they say. Regardless of whom you supported in the elections, this is always true: Whoever is elected must remember that actions speak louder than words when it comes to gaining our trust and support in the long run.

Explanation

Actions speak louder than words means that what you DO is more important than what you SAY.
In Example 1, Brian SAYS he will be on time, but actually, he has been late the last 3 times. His actions don’t match his words, so Amy reminds him that he needs to DO what he says, not only SAY that he will.
In Example 2, the speaker is discussing politics. It is likely true of politicians in many countries, that they SAY many wonderful things and make many amazing promises, but often FAIL TO DO it. The speaker uses this expression to emphasize that politicians would enjoy more trust and support from their constituents if their ACTIONS matched their WORDS.

http://languagesystems.edu/