What Does It Mean to Be ‘On Tenterhooks?’ The suspense is killing us. The phrase “on tenterhooks” means “
waiting nervously for something to happen
.” A tenterhook is literally a sharp hook that fastens cloth to a tenter, a frame on which cloth is stretched, like a tent, for even drying to prevent shrinkage.
Is the saying tenterhooks or Tenderhooks?
On tenterhooks NOT on tender hooks
This phrase, meaning worried anticipation, comes from the word ‘tenter’ which was a frame on which cloth was stretched to prevent shrinking. The tenterhook kept the cloth tense and tight – hence the expression. A tender hook isn’t a thing.
How do you use tenterhooks in a sentence?
1.
We were kept on tenterhooks for hours while the judges chose the winner.
2. She had been on tenterhooks all night, expecting Joe to return at any moment.
What does tenterhooks mean in England?
phrase. If you are on tenterhooks,
you are very nervous and excited because you are wondering what is going to happen in a particular situation
. He was still on tenterhooks waiting for his directors’ decision about the job.
What is tenter hook?
The phrase “on tenterhooks” means “
waiting nervously for something to happen
.” A tenterhook is literally a sharp hook that fastens cloth to a tenter, a frame on which cloth is stretched, like a tent, for even drying to prevent shrinkage.
What is the tenter?
Definition of tenter
(Entry 1 of 2) 1 :
a frame or endless track with hooks or clips along two sides that is used for drying and stretching cloth
. 2 archaic : tenterhook.
Are hooks tender?
The phrase tender hooks doesn’t really make sense, though:
hooks are sharp and pointy, not tender
! (Tender means “gentle, sensitive, or loving,” and it can also mean “easy to chew” or “sore.”) Tenterhooks are real things, even if people outside of the textile industry might not be able to recognize them.
Which of the following is correct meaning of the phrase on tenterhooks?
“On tenterhooks” means in a state of suspense or agitation because of uncertainty about a future event. From the given options, only the second option means the same as “On tenterhooks”. Hence, the correct answer is “
In a state of suspense and anxiety
“.
Is Tenderhooks a word?
There is a phrase that says one is on tenterhooks. This word commonly gets misspelled as tenderhooks. You might think that these are just two words that can be used in place of each other, but
tenderhooks is not actually a real word
.
What does on the boil mean?
Definition of on the boil
1 British, informal :
in a state of activity or development
The deal is still on the boil. kept their romance on the boil. 2 : on a hot burner/stove so that a liquid would boil She put the kettle (of water) on the boil.
Are tenterhooks still used?
Tenterhooks on what may be the world’s last remaining 18th-century tenter frames at Otterburn Mill, Northumberland
.
What does if I had my druthers mean?
Definition of druthers
dialect. :
free choice
: preference —used especially in the phrase if one had one’s druthers.
Why is it called a Tenterhook?
It comes from the Latin word tentus, which means “to stretch.”
The word ‘tenterhooks’ comes from the metal hooks that manufacturers used to stretch wool on a tenter while it dried.
What is to be from?
to have come from
; as, from what place are you? I am from Chicago.
What is tender procedure?
The tendering process is
a structured process, in order to be fair and transparent; including a stringent selection process, expressions of interest from bidders, through to the request for tender and the evaluation process
.
What is the purpose of tendering?
A tender is an invitation
to bid for a project or accept a formal offer such as a takeover bid
. Tendering usually refers to the process whereby governments and financial institutions invite bids for large projects that must be submitted within a finite deadline.
What is B1 and B2 tender?
Percentage rate tender (B1 system) 6. Item rate tender (B2 system)
7. Labour tender 8. Joint venture tender 9.
Is illustratively a word?
adj.
Acting or serving as an illustration
. il·lus′tra·tive·ly adv.
What is the meaning of wit’s end?
Also, at wits’ end.
Completely puzzled and perplexed, not knowing what to do
. For example, I’ve tried every possible source without success, and now I’m at my wit’s end. This idiom, which uses wit in the sense of “mental faculties,” appeared in Piers Ploughman (c. 1377).
What are illustrative examples?
Something is illustrative when it
paints a perfect picture of a subject
. If you’re trying to describe something, an illustrative example might make it easier for your audience to understand what you mean. The tidiness of your sock drawer might be illustrative of your compulsive (or messy) nature.
