Master confusing words with ease
On tenderhooks vs. On tenterhooks
On tenderhooks
/ɒn ˈtɛndər hʊks/Examples:
She was on tenderhooks waiting for the exam results.With the storm approaching, we were on tenderhooks.He sat on tenderhooks during the crucial interview.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
On tenterhooks
/ɒn ˈtɛntərhʊks/Examples:
The villagers waited on tenterhooks for the election results.She was on tenterhooks all week, waiting for the job offer.On tenterhooks, they listened for news of the missing hikers.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- On tenterhooks is the correct expression, not on tenderhooks.
- A tenterhook is a sharp, hooked nail used in the process of making cloth, not tender, which means gentle or soft.
- Tenterhooks relate to the phrase's original meaning of being in suspense or anxious, not to anything tender.
- Remember that tenter relates to the tightness and stretching of fabric, akin to being stretched while waiting.
- Think of a tenter as a frame for cloth and hooks that keep it pulled tight, representing tension, unlike tender which is calm and soft.
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