Firstly, it is tenter hooks, not tender hooks. It means waiting with anxiety. Tenter is a rack for drying cloth and a tenter hook is a nail with an upward curve on which the cloth is hung.
I was on tenter hooks until the test results arrived. Tender hooks do not exist and if they did, they would ne inefective because they are tender.
by Bernie Dworkin August 10, 2009