On tenterhooks
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
In tense suspense or worry, stretched tight.
Origin
From 14th-century England, tied to cloth; making; 'tenterhooks' stretched wool, slang by 1600s for strain. A 1690s play uses it for a tense wait.
Variants
- Tenterhooks
Usage Examples
- We're on tenterhooks for the results.
- She's on tenterhooks; will he call?
- On tenterhooks till the storm passes.
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