"on pins and needles" meaning in English

See on pins and needles in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Prepositional phrase

Audio: En-au-on pins and needles.ogg
Head templates: {{head|en|prepositional phrase|head=on pins and needles}} on pins and needles
  1. (idiomatic) Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense. Tags: idiomatic Synonyms: on tenterhooks Related terms: pins and needles, like a cat on a hot tin roof, like a cat on hot bricks, in limbo Translations (feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety): amb l'ai al cor (Catalan), 搩搩控 (khia̍t-khia̍t-khàng) [Hokkien, Quanzhou] (Chinese), 焦慮不安 (Chinese Mandarin), 焦虑不安 (jiāolǜbù'ān) (Chinese Mandarin), 如坐針氈 (Chinese Mandarin), 如坐针毡 (rúzuòzhēnzhān) (Chinese Mandarin), 提心吊膽 (Chinese Mandarin), 提心吊胆 (tíxīndiàodǎn) (Chinese Mandarin), 懸心吊膽 (Chinese Mandarin), 悬心吊胆 (xuánxīndiàodǎn) (Chinese Mandarin), 坐立不安 (zuòlìbù'ān) (Chinese Mandarin), oppe på lakridserne (Danish), på stikkerne (Danish), op hete kolen (Dutch), alig vár (Hungarian), tűkön ül (Hungarian), ar bís (Irish), in sospeso (Italian), sui carboni ardenti (Italian), sulle spine (Italian), 안절부절 (anjeolbujeol) (Korean), 안절부절못하다 (anjeolbujeolmothada) (Korean), jak na szpilkach (Polish), ca pe ace (Romanian), как на иголках (kak na igolkax) (Russian), air bhioran (Scottish Gaelic), a la expectativa (Spanish), con el alma en vilo (Spanish), en ascuas (Spanish), en vilo (Spanish), hålla någon på halster (Swedish), diken üstünde (Turkish), nhấp nhổm (Vietnamese)
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          "ref": "1889, Mark Twain, chapter 6, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:",
          "text": "Merlin hesitated a moment or two, and I was on pins and needles during that little while.",
          "type": "quote"
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          "ref": "1923, Hugh Lofting, chapter 1, in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, part 5:",
          "text": "I was on pins and needles of expectation and curiosity.",
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      ],
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        "Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense."
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          "anticipation",
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        "(idiomatic) Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense."
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "pins and needles"
        },
        {
          "word": "like a cat on a hot tin roof"
        },
        {
          "word": "like a cat on hot bricks"
        },
        {
          "word": "in limbo"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "on tenterhooks"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "idiomatic"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "amb l'ai al cor"
        },
        {
          "code": "nan-hbl",
          "lang": "Chinese",
          "roman": "khia̍t-khia̍t-khàng",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "tags": [
            "Hokkien",
            "Quanzhou"
          ],
          "word": "搩搩控"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "焦慮不安"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "jiāolǜbù'ān",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "焦虑不安"
        },
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          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "如坐針氈"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "rúzuòzhēnzhān",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "如坐针毡"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "提心吊膽"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "tíxīndiàodǎn",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "提心吊胆"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "懸心吊膽"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "xuánxīndiàodǎn",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "悬心吊胆"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "zuòlìbù'ān",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "坐立不安"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "oppe på lakridserne"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "på stikkerne"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "op hete kolen"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "alig vár"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "tűkön ül"
        },
        {
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "ar bís"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "in sospeso"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "sui carboni ardenti"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "sulle spine"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "anjeolbujeol",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "안절부절"
        },
        {
          "code": "ko",
          "lang": "Korean",
          "roman": "anjeolbujeolmothada",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "안절부절못하다"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "jak na szpilkach"
        },
        {
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "ca pe ace"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "kak na igolkax",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "как на иголках"
        },
        {
          "code": "gd",
          "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "air bhioran"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "a la expectativa"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "con el alma en vilo"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "en ascuas"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "en vilo"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "hålla någon på halster"
        },
        {
          "code": "tr",
          "lang": "Turkish",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "diken üstünde"
        },
        {
          "code": "vi",
          "lang": "Vietnamese",
          "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
          "word": "nhấp nhổm"
        }
      ]
    }
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  "word": "on pins and needles"
}
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      "word": "pins and needles"
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      "word": "like a cat on a hot tin roof"
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      "word": "like a cat on hot bricks"
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          "text": "Merlin hesitated a moment or two, and I was on pins and needles during that little while.",
          "type": "quote"
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        "Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense."
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        "(idiomatic) Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense."
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      "word": "on tenterhooks"
    }
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    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "amb l'ai al cor"
    },
    {
      "code": "nan-hbl",
      "lang": "Chinese",
      "roman": "khia̍t-khia̍t-khàng",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "tags": [
        "Hokkien",
        "Quanzhou"
      ],
      "word": "搩搩控"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "焦慮不安"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "jiāolǜbù'ān",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "焦虑不安"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "如坐針氈"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "rúzuòzhēnzhān",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "如坐针毡"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "提心吊膽"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "tíxīndiàodǎn",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "提心吊胆"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "懸心吊膽"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "xuánxīndiàodǎn",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "悬心吊胆"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "zuòlìbù'ān",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "坐立不安"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "oppe på lakridserne"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "på stikkerne"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "op hete kolen"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "alig vár"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "tűkön ül"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "ar bís"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "in sospeso"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "sui carboni ardenti"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "sulle spine"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "anjeolbujeol",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "안절부절"
    },
    {
      "code": "ko",
      "lang": "Korean",
      "roman": "anjeolbujeolmothada",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "안절부절못하다"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "jak na szpilkach"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "ca pe ace"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "kak na igolkax",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "как на иголках"
    },
    {
      "code": "gd",
      "lang": "Scottish Gaelic",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "air bhioran"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "a la expectativa"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "con el alma en vilo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "en ascuas"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "en vilo"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "hålla någon på halster"
    },
    {
      "code": "tr",
      "lang": "Turkish",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "diken üstünde"
    },
    {
      "code": "vi",
      "lang": "Vietnamese",
      "sense": "feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety",
      "word": "nhấp nhổm"
    }
  ],
  "word": "on pins and needles"
}

Download raw JSONL data for on pins and needles meaning in English (6.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-15 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (8a39820 and 4401a4c). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.