Miller wrote: “To see nails in your dreams, indicates much toil and small recompense.” Compare 4 historical dream books.
Compare the historical accounts
These are the authors’ historical interpretations. Their forecasts and period judgments are preserved as source material, not as predictions or established meanings for your dream.
Gustavus Hindman Miller
Ten Thousand Dreams Interpreted; Or, What’s in a Dream · Gutenberg #926; bibliography identifies the 1901 original and subsequent reprints
Nails · Heading 1369; source lines 15682–15691 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
To see nails in your dreams, indicates much toil and small recompense.
To deal in nails, shows that you will engage in honorable work, even if it be lowly.
To see rusty or broken nails, indicates sickness and failure in business.
Felix Fontaine
The Golden Wheel Dream-book and Fortune-teller · 1862
Nails · Heading 497; source line 3320 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
To dream that one’s nails are longer than usual, signifies profit, and the contrary, loss: to dream your nails are cut off, signifies loss and disgrace, and contention with friends and relations. If one dreams his nails are pulled off, it threatens with misery and affliction, and danger of death: for a man to dream he bites his nails, shows quarrels and dissensions: to dream of paring your nails, foretells a lingering sickness.
A. H. Noe
The Witches' Dream Book; and Fortune Teller · New York, Henry J. Wehman, 1885
Nails · Dream section, heading 360; source lines 1390–1394 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
To dream your nails are growing long is very good, and denotes riches, prosperity and happiness; great success in love, a good, industrious husband or wife, with dutiful children; it also foretells that you will suddenly receive a sum of money that will be of great use to you.
Astra Cielo
Fortunes and Dreams · New York, George Sully, 1917
Nails · Dream section, heading 280; source lines 4534–4538 · Text transcription
Original source (English)
Metal nails mean success; finger nails denote misadventures.
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Attributed historical writing. Historical claims are not established predictions or universal psychological meanings. Updated 2026-10-12. Read our approach and sources.