Waiting on tenterhooks
By Judy Evans
@JudyEv (305353)
Rockingham, Australia
March 17, 2023 3:10am CST
A myLotter today queried ‘tenterhooks’ as in ‘waiting on tenterhooks’. I guess it’s an old saying but one I’ve known all my life. So I googled it, as one does, and discovered that a tenter is a wooden frame used for stretching woollen cloth. Tenters were used as far back as the 14th century.
Tenter hooks were, somewhat obviously, the hooks used to fasten the cloth to the frame. Later, the phrase came to mean being in a state of tension, anxiety or suspense, similarly to cloth being stretched on the tenter.
The photos shows little goats waiting on tenterhooks for their milk.
19 people like this
21 responses
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@pumpkinjam (8286)
• United Kingdom
18 Mar
That is interesting. I do know the phrase but didn't know its original. I believe there are some places where the word has been changed to tenderhooks rather than tenterhooks.
2 people like this
@pumpkinjam (8286)
• United Kingdom
18 Mar
@JudyEv That is a perfectly legitimate hate. Shortening/abbreviating is fine but 'of' instead of 'have' makes no sense and is pure laziness. If ever I see it written, I don't read any further as I assume the writer is an idiot with nothing worthwhile to say. Perhaps a bit over-the-top but I don't think so.
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@JudyEv (305353)
• Rockingham, Australia
18 Mar
Yes, I've seen that too. It's probably to do with the way people say the word and gradually the spelling becomes changed to fit the speech. Like people who say 'should've, would've' short for 'should have, would have' but then it gets changed in speech to 'should of, would of' and now dozens write 'should of, would of'. One of my pet hates I'm afraid.
2 people like this
@allknowing (115442)
• India
17 Mar
I use this phrase often but did not know its origin. Those little goats look all cramped up
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@ptrikha_2 (42070)
• India
18 Mar
Tenterhooks is often used for certain political news.
Not much otherwise.
Sometimes, we hear or keep on using certain words but knowing about their origins is much more interesting!!
1 person likes this
@ptrikha_2 (42070)
• India
20 Mar
@JudyEv
Many have strange and archaic origins.
I knew of a Librarian and a Wikinut writer who is also on mylot but not much active who used to write about such terms' origins.
1 person likes this
@Marilynda1225 (75072)
• United States
17 Mar
It's nice to know the meaning of a phrase that is familiar. It's funny how sayings and phrases can be passed down generation after generation.
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@Marilynda1225 (75072)
• United States
20 Mar
@JudyEv my grandkids laugh when I occasionally use a phrase that is "old"
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@JudyEv (305353)
• Rockingham, Australia
21 Mar
@Marilynda1225 But I'm sure they really love you for it.
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@Beestring (10501)
• Hong Kong
17 Mar
That's interesting. I learned something new. Thank you.
2 people like this
@BarBaraPrz (41199)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
17 Mar
Now, I always thought tenter hooks were those hooks from which sides of beef, etc. were hung in commercial freezers. Live and learn.
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (73559)
• Marion, Ohio
17 Mar
Had heard the phrase but didn't know where it came from.
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@TheHorse (176957)
• Walnut Creek, California
18 Mar
I was worried for just a second that those cute little goats were soon to be stretched on tenterhooks. But then I thought things through. We can generate woolen cloth (do people ever use goat hair for anything?) without hurting the lambies and sheep that give it to us. You had me on tenterhooks for a second there. Or maybe my panties were just all in a bunch.
1 person likes this
@JudyEv (305353)
• Rockingham, Australia
20 Mar
And I wonder how THAT came about? Panties all in a bunch. Perhaps you could research that one for us.
