on pins and needles en · ADP
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
Meanings
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(idiomatic) Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.
I was on pins and needles of expectation and curiosity.
1923, Hugh Lofting, chapter 1, in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, part 5:Merlin hesitated a moment or two, and I was on pins and needles during that little while.
1889, Mark Twain, chapter 6, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:
Relateds
limbo · pins and needles · like a cat on hot bricks · like a cat on a hot tin roof
Synonyms
Translations (30)
ro ca pe ace (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · da oppe på lakridserne (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · vi nhấp nhổm (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · cmn 懸心吊膽 /悬心吊胆 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · it sulle spine (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · nl op hete kolen (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · pl jak na szpilkach (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · ko 안절부절못하다 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · fi kuin tulisilla hiilillä (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · nan-hbl 搩搩控 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · hu alig vár (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · it in sospeso (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · da på stikkerne (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · cmn 焦慮不安 /焦虑不安 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · ga ar bís (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · es en ascuas (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · es en vilo (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · es con el alma en vilo (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · cmn 如坐針氈 /如坐针毡 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · es a la expectativa (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · cmn 提心吊膽 /提心吊胆 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · it sui carboni ardenti (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · cmn 坐立不安 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · sv hålla någon på halster (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · ca amb l'ai al cor (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · ru как на иго́лках (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · ko 안절부절 (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · hu tűkön ül (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · tr diken üstünde (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety) · gd air bhioran (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety)