What does it mean to be on tenterhooks? | Merriam-Webster When someone is in a state of uneasiness or suspense, you might say that person is on tenterhooks We're on the edge of our seats to learn more Other property owners in the area remain on tenterhooks
On Tenterhooks - Meaning Origin Of The Phrase - Phrasefinder To be ‘on tenterhooks’ is to be in a state of uncomfortable suspense or impatience What's the origin of the phrase 'On tenterhooks'? Tenterhooks aren’t connected with tents, nor are they the hooks used by butchers, as the common misspelling ‘tenderhooks’ might suggest
Tenterhook - Wikipedia The lengths of wet cloth were stretched on the tenter using tenterhooks, hooked nails made with a long shank that was driven into the wooden tenter frame around its perimeter, on which the selvedges were fixed so that the cloth would retain its shape and size as it dried
on tenterhooks vs. on tender hooks : Pardon the Expression . . . To be on tenterhooks means to be stretched tight or to be tense while in anticipation or suspense The phrase is often preceded by "waiting," which emphasizes the quality of anxious uncertainty, a kind of worry that you feel physically
TENTERHOOKS | English meaning - Cambridge Dictionary It would be quite impossible to keep a man on tenterhooks for 24 hours They are on tenterhooks—their livelihoods are at stake and their families do not know what will happen It will be welcomed by the work force, whose members have been on tenterhooks for about 18 months
Tenterhooks or Tenderhooks? - Quick and Dirty Tips To be on tenterhooks is to be filled with painful or anxious anticipation or suspense, such as when you’re waiting for the result of an important medical test
Tenterhooks: Definition, Meaning and Origin - US Dictionary The idiom "tenterhooks" is used to express the feeling of suspense, anxiety, or impatience due to uncertainty or a pending outcome If you're on tenterhooks, you're anxiously waiting for something to happen
on tenterhooks - Idioms by The Free Dictionary If you are on tenterhooks, you are very nervous or excited, because you are keen to know what is going to happen The market was on tenterhooks about the size of the rate cut `It was a good match wasn't it?