Why are they called tenterhooks?
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. So a tenterhook is a metal hook that holds the cloth in place on the tenter, and the frames were set out in fields so the wool could dry.
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.
What is the meaning of on tenter hooks?
Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are hooked nails in a device called a tenter. Tenters were wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woollen cloth. The phrase “on tenterhooks” has become a metaphor for nervous anticipation.
What is a Tenterer?
Definition of tenterer : one that tenters (as cloth)
Can you tell someone to keep an eye out?
To remain vigilant or carefully watchful (for something or someone). Often used as an imperative. We heard the health inspector will be doing a surprise inspection someday soon, so keep an eye out. They should be arriving any minute, so keep an eye out for them.
How do you use tenterhooks in a sentence?
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.
Was on the boil meaning?
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.
Is tenter a Scrabble word?
Yes, tenter is in the scrabble dictionary.
Is Tente a word?
A tent is a shelter made of canvas or nylon and held up by poles and ropes, used mainly by people who are camping.
Why is it called Whisky on the rocks?
Some whiskey purists believe that the term “on the rocks” comes from an old Scottish tradition of adding stones chilled by the mountain snow to whiskey to cool it down. However, it is more likely that the term was coined in the 1940’s to describe adding ice (commonly called “rocks” at the time) to spirits.
What is the meaning of the word Tenterhook?
Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are hooked nails in a device called a tenter. Tenters were wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woollen cloth. The phrase “on tenterhooks” has become a metaphor for nervous anticipation. Cloth-making
Where are the last remaining 18th century tenter hooks?
Tenterhooks on what may be the world’s last remaining 18th-century tenter frames at Otterburn Mill, Northumberland. Tenterhooks or tenter hooks are hooked nails in a device called a tenter. Tenters were wooden frames which were used as far back as the 14th century in the process of making woolen cloth.
Where did the name tenter field come from?
There were tentergrounds (or teneter-fields), large open spaces full of tenters, wherever cloth was made, and as a result the word “tenter” is found in place names throughout the United Kingdom and its empire, for example several streets in Spitalfields, London. and Tenterfield House in Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland,…
Which is the correct spelling Tenter or stenter?
The word tenter is still used today to refer to production line machinery employed to stretch polyester films and similar fabrics. The spelling stenter is also found.