This word only lives in one phrase: **on tenterhooks**.

this word這個字 only lives in one phrase只活在一個片語裡: on tenterhooks on tenterhooks.

It means you are waiting for news, and the waiting is doing something to you — you cannot settle, you cannot think about anything else, and it is not quite fear and not quite excitement. It is the feeling in the minutes before the exam results come out, or while the doctor is reading your test paper and has not said anything yet.

it它 means意思是 you are waiting for news你在等消息, and the waiting is doing something to you而這個等待對你造成了某種影響 — you cannot settle你靜不下來, you cannot think about anything else你沒辦法想別的事, and it is not quite fear and not quite excitement而且那既不完全是恐懼也不完全是興奮. it它 is the feeling in the minutes before the exam results come out就是考試結果出來前那幾分鐘的感覺, or while the doctor is reading your test paper and has not said anything yet或是醫生在看你的檢查報告、還沒開口說話的時候.

Notice that the feeling is always about something not yet known. You are not on tenterhooks about a thing that already happened; you are on tenterhooks *until* you find out.

notice that留意 the feeling這種感覺 is always about something not yet known永遠是關於還不知道的事. you你 are not on tenterhooks about a thing that already happened不會為已經發生的事 on tenterhooks; you你 are on tenterhooks *until* you find out而是一直 on tenterhooks 到你知道答案為止.

Usually you say someone is on tenterhooks, or you keep / leave someone on tenterhooks — that means you know the answer and you are being slow about telling them, which is a small cruelty and people say it half-jokingly: "Don't keep me on tenterhooks — did you get the job?" It is a slightly bookish phrase, more common in writing and in older or more educated speech than in everyday teenage talk; a young person is more likely to say "I'm so nervous" or "the suspense is killing me".

usually通常, you你 say someone is on tenterhooks會說某人 on tenterhooks, or you keep / leave someone on tenterhooks或是 keep/leave 某人 on tenterhooks — that means意思是 you know the answer and you are being slow about telling them你知道答案卻故意慢慢告訴他們, which is a small cruelty這是一種小小的殘忍 and people say it half-jokingly人們會半開玩笑地這樣說: “Don't keep me on tenterhooks — did you get the job?”「別讓我 on tenterhooks——你到底有沒有拿到那份工作？」 it它 is a slightly bookish phrase是個稍微書面一點的片語, more common in writing and in older or more educated speech than in everyday teenage talk比較常出現在寫作、以及年紀較長或受教育較多的人的口語裡，而不是青少年的日常對話; a young person年輕人 is more likely to say比較可能會說 “I'm so nervous” or “the suspense is killing me”「I'm so nervous」或「the suspense is killing me」.

You will almost never meet the word alone. Nobody sells a tenterhook, and if you tried to use one tenterhook in a sentence it would sound wrong.

you你 will almost never meet the word alone幾乎不會單獨遇到這個字. nobody沒有人 sells a tenterhook會賣一個 tenterhook, and而如果 if you tried to use one tenterhook in a sentence你想在句子裡用單一個 tenterhook, it it would sound wrong聽起來會很怪.