Is the saying Tenderhooks or tenterhooks?
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.
What does tenterhooks mean in British?
worried or nervous
Meaning of tenterhooks in English worried or nervous about something that is going to happen: We were on tenterhooks all morning waiting for the phone to ring. Anxious and worried.
What do tenterhooks means?
in a state of uneasiness, strain
: a sharp hooked nail used especially for fastening cloth on a tenter. on tenterhooks. : in a state of uneasiness, strain, or suspense the waiting kept us on tenterhooks.
Where did the saying tenterhooks come from?
Towards the end of World War I, the process was brought inside and dried by steam heating. The saying ‘to be on tenterhooks’ originated from this method of controlled drying, used to mean being in a state of uneasiness, anxiety, or suspense.
Why do we say tender hooks?
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 does a tenterhook look like?
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.
Are tenterhooks still used?
The OED says it is now a rare or obscure saying, but people also used to say they were “on tenters” or “on the tenter” to mean the same thing as “on tenterhooks.” So remember, you aren’t on tenderhooks. You’re on tenterhooks.
Why do we say tenter hooks?
Is there such a word as Tenderhooks?
keep (one) on tenterhooks To cause one to remain in a continual state of anxious, excited, or nervous anticipation. “Tenterhooks,” often mistakenly written or pronounced as “tenderhooks,” were the hooks on a frame called a “tenter.” They were used to fasten stretched cloth to allow it to dry.
Is Tenderhooks a word?
How do you use the word tenterhooks?
We’re on tenterhooks to discover if they will say yes. We are on tenterhooks until we hear you. This season they are on tenterhooks again. They were on tenterhooks, waiting for a phone call.
What does a Tenterhook look like?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFW8hj6k1kM