If you are pounding a nail in a dream, it can represent ‘hitting the nail on the head’ or the need to focus. A screw can symbolize digging beneath the surface or the idea that your journey is circular, perhaps retracing your path prior to moving forward. The screw can also suggest that something isn’t quite right, as in ‘screwy’ or how appearances are not what they seem. See Hammer under Weapons and Utensils . If it is a fingernail, it can signify attitudes that grow and require grooming over time. Fingernails can also be associated with wisdom. See Anatomy and Body Parts.